Russian army suddenly attacked Ukraine's rear

Videos recorded by the participants themselves later appeared on social media, avia-pro.net reported. In the footage, Russian soldiers also congratulated Russian women on International Women's Day on March 8. This daring action, which took place amid fierce fighting, is being hailed as a feat, demonstrating the determination and flexible combat capabilities of the Russian army.

According to military sources, the Russian attackers used a 1.4-meter-diameter gas pipeline that was used to transport Russian gas to Europe through Ukrainian territory until January 1, 2025. After the supply was cut off, the section of the pipeline that crossed the Russian-Ukrainian border near Sudzha was abandoned, allowing Russian forces to use it as a secret route to bypass Ukraine's fortified defense positions.

The raid began from the Khorlovy forest and apple orchard near Martynivka, where Russian units moved underground for about 3.8 km to reach the northeastern area of ​​Sudzha, heading straight for the DRSU-2 asphalt plant.

This surprise attack left the Ukrainian army completely passive, forcing them to retreat to the village of Mirny and the old airport in the area.

Information about this daring tactic has been confirmed by the Ukrainian side. The Ukrainian newspaper Ukrainska Pravda, citing journalist Yuriy Butusov, said that about 100 Russian soldiers had quietly infiltrated the Ukrainian rear without being detected, successfully bypassing the defenses.

The Urengoy-Pomary-Uzhgorod pipeline, built in 1983 to export gas from Western Siberia to Europe, is 4,451 km long, of which 1,160 km pass through Ukrainian territory. The route lost its value after Kiev refused to renew the gas transit contract on January 1, 2025. However, in a surprising turn of events, this abandoned infrastructure has become a tool for Russia's special military tactics.

Previously, in August 2024, the Ukrainian army captured the Sudzha gas metering station, disrupting supplies, but the infrastructure of the pipeline system remained intact.

In a related development, Russian officials confirmed that they are conducting a comprehensive offensive operation in Kursk province.

Accordingly, on March 8, the commander of the Akhmat special forces, Mr. Apty Alaudinov, announced that the Russian army had launched a large-scale attack in all directions in Kursk province, forcing the Ukrainian army to hastily withdraw from defensive positions. This information was announced by him on his personal Telegram channel.

According to Mr. Alaudinov, the Russian units, including many different combat forces, launched the attack simultaneously, and chose International Women's Day to launch the operation. He emphasized that this was considered a "gift" for Russian women, and affirmed that the speed of the advance demonstrated the success of the operation.

Mr. Alaudinov said that under pressure from the fierce attack of the Russian army, Ukrainian forces are gradually losing control of fortified defense areas and are forced to retreat, leaving behind many strategic positions.

The Russian Defense Ministry has not yet released detailed information about the operation, but the statement of the commander of the special forces Akhmat coincides with reports from military correspondents and Telegram channels about important changes on the front line in Kursk.

On the Ukrainian side, the Kyiv Independent reported on March 7 that an unnamed Ukrainian military official told the newspaper that Russia had disrupted their ammunition and food supply chains and they were facing a siege. Meanwhile, another said the Russian military had made breakthroughs in the past few days.

Reuters news agency said that Kiev's plan to use the presence of thousands of Ukrainian troops in Kursk as leverage in peace talks with Moscow may not be successful. Over the past three days, the situation in Ukraine's Kursk region has deteriorated significantly as Russian forces recaptured key areas in counter-offensives. Moscow's attacks have cut off almost all Ukrainian forces and cut off the main unit from vital supply lines.

The operation is part of a broader Russian military strategy to push Ukrainian units out of the area they have occupied since August 2024. On August 6, 2024, Ukrainian forces launched a surprise attack on the Kursk region, seizing control of more than 1,000 square kilometers of territory and 28 settlements. President Vladimir Putin has since set a goal of regaining control of the area.

By November 2024, Russia had recaptured about half of the lost territory. Since early 2025, the Russian military has continued to increase counter-offensive pressure, mobilizing additional reserve forces, including special units from third countries.