Russian forces infiltrated a 1.4-metre-wide abandoned gas pipeline to attack Ukrainian troops in Sudzha in Russia's Kursk region, according to Ukraine's General Staff.
The bold plan was unveiled as Moscow attempted to regain control of parts of its border region that Kyiv had taken over in a surprise offensive last August.
According to Telegram posts by a pro-Kremlin blogger, Russian troops walked approximately 15 kilometers inside the pipeline, which Moscow had used until recently to supply gas to Europe.
Russian troops had spent several days hiding in the pipeline before launching an attack from behind on Ukrainian units near the town of Sudzha, Podolyaka claimed.
The Russian town of approximately 5,000 residents is home to significant gas transfer and measurement facilities along the pipeline and was formerly a major hub for Russian natural gas exports through Ukrainian territory.
A war blogger, using the alias "Two Majors," stated that intense fighting is taking place in Sudzha and that Russian forces have successfully entered the town through a gas pipeline. Russian Telegram channels have posted images purportedly showing special forces operatives wearing gas masks as they move along what appears to be the interior of a large pipeline.
The accuracy of these claims has not been verified by Euronews.
Ukraine's General Staff confirmed on Saturday evening that Russian "sabotage and assault groups" exploited the pipeline in an attempt to establish a foothold beyond Sudzha. In a Telegram post, it stated that Russian troops were "detected in a timely manner" and that Ukraine responded with rockets and artillery.
"At the current time, Russian special forces are being identified, intercepted, and neutralized. The enemy is incurring significant losses in the area of Sudzha," the General Staff stated.
Largest assault on Russia since the end of World War II
In August, Ukraine launched a bold operation, crossing into Kursk, marking the largest assault on Russian soil since World War II. Within a short time, Ukrainian forces seized around 1,000 square kilometers of territory, including the key border town of Sudzha, and took hundreds of Russian soldiers prisoner.
According to analysts, the operation was intended to secure a negotiating advantage in potential peace negotiations and to pressure Russia to redirect its troops away from its relentless assault on eastern Ukraine.
It is alleged that Moscow has deployed approximately 50,000 troops, including North Korean soldiers, to counter the Ukrainian forces.
The Russian Defence Ministry announced on Sunday that its forces have captured the village of Lebedevka, approximately 12 kilometers northwest of Sudzha, and inflicted losses on multiple Ukrainian units in and around the town. It did not provide a specific date for the reported clashes. Ukraine's government has not yet responded to the Russian ministry's claims.
France has introduced a new aid package for Ukraine.
French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu stated on Sunday that France will utilize profits from frozen Russian assets to fund a supplementary 195 million euro package of arms for Ukraine, the latest in a series of military aid shipments funded through this mechanism.
In an interview to the La Tribune Dimanche newspaper, Lecornu stated that Paris will be sending additional 155 mm artillery shells and glide bombs for Mirage 2000 fighter jets that it previously provided to Ukraine.
The move sparked an angry reaction from Vyacheslav Volodin, the speaker of Russia's parliament. A statement by the State Duma's press service on Sunday quoted Volodin as saying that Paris "will answer for its actions" and will eventually have to return what Volodin referred to as "stolen" funds.
Reports from Russian officials and Telegram channels indicate that Ukrainian drones struck oil infrastructure in southern and central Russia in the early hours of Sunday.
A drone attacked an oil storage facility in Cheboksary, a Russian city situated on the Volga River, approximately 1,000 kilometers from the border, the local governor stated. The official, Oleg Nikolaev, reported that no casualties occurred, yet the depot requires rebuilding.
Video clips were shared on Russian Telegram channels, showing what appeared to be a fire at or near one of Russia's biggest oil refineries in the city of Ryazan in the south. Shot, a news channel on Telegram, reported that people living in the area said they heard several loud explosions at night near the refinery.
The regional governor, Pavel Malkov, stated that Ukrainian drones were downed in the area. He reported that there were no fatalities or property damage as a result.
Ukraine did not provide an immediate response to either incident. Euronews was unable to independently confirm these allegations.