Crawl of duty Russian soldiers once again move through gas pipeline to launch offensive, Ukrainian OSINT project reports
Russian troops have reportedly once again turned to an unusual tactic: moving through a gas pipeline to get behind Ukrainian lines. The Ukrainian OSINT project DeepState said Russian soldiers crossed the Oskil River inside the pipe to reach Kupyansk, a city already devastated by shelling. The claim quickly spread across pro-war Russian Telegram channels, accompanied by video that purportedly showed troops inching through the narrow passage. Ukraine’s military command, however, denied the account, insisting the pipeline does not lead directly into the city and that its exits remain under Ukrainian control.
For the third time since the start of the full-scale war, Russian troops have reportedly used a pipeline to advance behind Ukrainian lines. DeepState, a Ukrainian OSINT project with close ties to the country’s Defense Ministry, said Russian forces operating in the Kharkiv region crossed the Oskil River through a gas pipeline to reach the city of Kupyansk.
The Russian military previously used similar tactics in Avdiivka, in the Donetsk region, and near Sudzha, in Russia’s Kursk region. In the Kupyansk area, DeepState claimed, Russian troops have built an entire logistical artery inside the tunnel. “The entrances to the pipeline are near Lyman Pershyi. To move through it, they use specially designed wheeled platforms and, where the height allows, electric scooters,” the project wrote.
The route through the pipeline to Kupyansk’s outskirts takes roughly four days, DeepState said, with rest areas and food supplies staged along the way. According to the project, this has allowed organized Russian units to reach the village of Radkivka and then move south into a forest under their control, before dispersing into Kupyansk and pushing toward the railway.
The claim quickly spread through Russian pro-war Telegram channels, accompanied by a video said to show troops moving through the pipeline toward Kupyansk.
DeepState further claimed that Russian units had already advanced into Kupyansk itself, fighting in the city’s northern districts. Vitaly Ganchev, the Kremlin-appointed head of Russia’s “Military-Civilian Administration” in occupied parts of the Kharkiv region, declared that Russian assault groups were indeed inside the city and “steadily pushing” Ukrainian troops out.
Andriy Kanashkevych, the head of the Kupyansk City Military Administration, flatly denied this. “DeepState jumped the gun — there are no Russians in Kupyansk. The fighting is on the outskirts. The entire city is under the control of our defense forces,” he said. Still, Kanashkevych described the situation as critical. “There is no electricity, no water, no gas. It’s impossible to carry out repairs under constant shelling. More than 90 percent of the city is destroyed or damaged. And yet many people remain in Kupyansk.”
The Russian Defense Ministry has not confirmed the operation. About 40 minutes after DeepState’s report began circulating, Ukraine’s General Staff issued a statement denying that Russian troops had entered Kupyansk through the pipeline. The command said the situation in the city and its surroundings remained under Ukrainian control. “The exit from the pipeline that the enemy tried to use to move personnel into Kupyansk is under the control of Ukrainian defenders. The pipeline does not lead directly into the city. There are several pipelines in the Kupyansk area; three of the four have already been damaged and flooded, and the exit from the fourth is controlled by defense forces,” the statement read.
Commentary from Meduza’s Razbor (“Explainers”) team
Russian troops had entered the western half of Kupyansk by September 3 at the latest. A video released by Russia’s Defense Ministry shows soldiers raising flags on the city’s northern outskirts and in the center. Ukraine’s military said Russian saboteurs had infiltrated the city but were quickly driven out. Even so, days later Ukrainian drones were still targeting Russian positions in the northwest of the city.
The village of Radkivka, where the supposed pipeline exit is located, was captured by Russian forces no later than July 24, 2025. This suggests the “pipeline” may have been used to bring reinforcements to the front rather than to stage a surprise incursion behind Ukrainian lines. Russian troops have long struggled to resupply their bridgehead on the Oskil’s western bank because of persistent Ukrainian drone activity.
What complicates matters for Ukraine is that its own forces maintain a large foothold in Kupyansk’s eastern districts, across the river. If Russia consolidates control of the city’s western half, those Ukrainian units could find themselves at risk of encirclement.
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