Russia has claimed progress in Kursk, which the Ukrainian military has partially controlled since it launched an offensive there in August.
According to maps, tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers risk being surrounded by Russian forces in the region. Now, it is reported that the Russians have also tried something unusual to try to gain control over more territory.
Ukraine: Discovered in time
According to Ukraine, Russian "sabotage and assault groups" used a gas pipeline to advance outside the city of Sudzha in Kursk. The Russian forces were discovered "in time", according to Ukrainian reports, and the country's forces responded with, among other things, rockets.
"Currently, the Russian special forces are being detected, blocked, and destroyed", Ukraine's military leadership reports on Telegram, adding that the Russian losses at Sudzha are said to be "very large".
The information has not been confirmed by independent sources.
Tens of thousands fighting for Russia
Pro-Russian war bloggers claim simultaneously that Russian forces have actually managed to pass through the gas pipeline and out on the other side. From that direction, it is described as intense fighting ongoing at Sudzha.
According to the reports, some Russian soldiers have spent several days in the gas pipeline, which until recently was used to send gas to Europe. They are said to have advanced about 15 kilometers through the pipe, which has a diameter of 1.4 meters.
The Ukrainian forces have retained control over parts of the Russian Kursk region since August, with the hope of being able to exchange the territory in future peace talks. Another goal is to relieve the defense on the Ukrainian front line and force Russia to send soldiers to Kursk as well.
Tens of thousands of soldiers fighting on the Russian side, including North Koreans, are reported to be operating in the region.
