A fierce battle is underway in Sudzha after Russian forces used a gas pipeline to launch a surprise attack on Ukrainian positions, according to pro-Russian war blogger Two Majors. The incursion has intensified fighting along the border, with heavy clashes reported.
Ukraine’s airborne assault forces confirmed that Russian troops attempted to use the pipeline to establish a foothold but were quickly detected and attacked with rockets, artillery, and drones. The Ukrainian military’s General Staff later reported that 15 Russian attacks had been repelled in the Kursk region, with six clashes still ongoing. Additionally, Ukrainian positions were hit by 12 Russian airstrikes.
Russia’s Defense Ministry did not comment on the pipeline operation, but Major General Apti Alaudinov, commander of Chechnya’s Akhmat special forces, posted images on Telegram of troops inside a large pipe, wearing gas masks and carrying flashlights. “I am surprised by people who really think that Russia could lose,” Alaudinov remarked. “It is a good day.”
Due to battlefield reporting restrictions, Reuters has been unable to verify the claims from either side.
The escalation comes at a time of mounting European concerns over shifting U.S. policy on Ukraine. Russian advances in 2024 and President Donald Trump’s reversal of military aid and intelligence-sharing with Ukraine have raised fears that Kyiv could lose the war.
Tensions spiked after Trump’s February 28 meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ended in public discord. Shortly after, Washington announced a freeze on military support, leaving European allies worried about the broader implications for NATO and regional security.
Russia’s Defense Ministry stated that its forces had retaken the village of Lebedevka and seized Novenke, a hamlet in Ukraine’s Sumy region.
Ukraine now faces a tactical challenge as spring thaw conditions turn roads into muddy tracks. Military analysts question whether Ukraine should withdraw from Kursk and, if so, whether it can do so in an orderly manner without facing heavy Russian bombardment.
Ukraine’s previous incursion into Kursk in August marked the most significant attack on Russian territory since the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941. Now, Russian forces appear determined to solidify their control over the region.
Meanwhile, in eastern Donetsk, Russian forces continue their slow but steady push, with Moscow announcing the capture of Kostyantynopil after months of grueling combat.
In Russian-occupied Kherson, Moscow-installed officials accused Ukrainian forces of launching a missile attack on a crowded market in Velyki Kopani. Russian news agencies reported two civilians killed and seven injured, though Reuters could not independently verify the claim.
As the war grinds on, both sides brace for further escalation, with the battle for Sudzha marking another critical flashpoint in the ongoing conflict.
