Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
It is not the first time, Russia has tried this strategy.
In March 2025, Russian troops carried out what has since become known as “Operation Stream” or “Operation Pipe”.
The plan was for Russian troops to crawl through a disused pipeline and use it to get behind Ukrainian lines and attack them from the rear in the Kursk region.
A couple of weeks after the mission, Ukrainska Pravda reported that Ukrainian defenders knew about the operation five days in advance, but a Russian breakthrough elsewhere diverted Ukrainian attention, making Ukrainian troops unable to block or destroy the pipeline.
On March 8, 2025, The New Voice of Ukraine cited an officer from the Ukrainian Armed Forces as saying that Ukraine managed to eliminate roughly 80% of the Russian soldiers in the pipeline, although these figures have not been independently verified.
Now, Russia has allegedly attempted to use the same strategy of sneaking through a disused pipeline to bypass Ukrainian defenses.
But this time, the Ukrainian defenders were prepared.
Another pipeline try
Ukraine’s 8th Air Assault Corps said in a post on Telegram that Russian forces tried to enter the Sumy region by moving through a gas pipeline near the village of Yablunivka on February 9.
The Ukrainian military said that 22 Russian infantry troops advanced through the pipeline corridor. Units from the 71st Separate Airmobile Brigade had prior intelligence about the move and prepared an ambush.
The assault group was engaged using artillery, FPV strike drones, and bomber-type drones, the corps reported. Ukrainian officials did not disclose casualty figures or say whether any Russian soldiers escaped or were captured.
The information has not been independently verified.
Pressure along the border
Russian forces have repeatedly relied on the same pipeline route in efforts to push deeper into the Sumy region, Ukrainian officials said. Despite those attempts, Kyiv says the overall situation remains under control.
As of February 9, Russian troops were assessed to be holding about 239.79 square kilometers of territory across 14 settlements in the region.
The main fighting in this sector involves Russia’s 1443rd Motor Rifle Regiment and the 83rd Separate Guards Air Assault Brigade, according to Ukrainian military reporting.
Sources: Ukraine’s 8th Air Assault Corps, United24Media, Ukrainska Pravda, The New Voice of Ukraine
