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Underground Pipeline Near Kupiansk Turned Russian Lifeline—Until Ukrainian Forces Flooded It
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![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
Ukrainian forces have disabled and flooded a massive underground pipeline that Russian troops were using to move supplies and personnel near Kupiansk, commander of the 429th Separate Achilles Drone Systems Regiment Yuriy Fedorenko said on Espreso TV on September 15.
“At this stage, enemy movement through the pipeline is no longer observed,” Fedorenko explained, noting that Ukrainian defenders had to improvise under constant fire. Instead of digging up the structure with engineering equipment, they sealed the valves and used specialized munitions to destroy parts of it.
He added that Russian troops had been carrying out underground work to adapt the pipeline as a covert route. A series of Ukrainian strikes near the Oskil River damaged the structure and caused it to flood, forcing Russian units to switch to river crossings, which are far more vulnerable.
Fedorenko stressed that the situation is being closely monitored. “If the enemy tries to pump out water, weld, or straighten the pipeline—assuming it’s not critically damaged—we already have a worked-out algorithm to hit it again,” he said.
Unlike past episodes, where pipelines were used to infiltrate assault groups behind Ukrainian lines, this time the goal was to create a secure supply channel across the Oskil River.
The pipeline allowed Russian troops to move through to the village of Radkivka and into forested areas they control, giving them space to amass forces for further attempts to push into Kupiansk.
By September 13, reports confirmed that several pipelines in the Kupiansk area had been destroyed or flooded. Out of four lines, three have already been disabled, while Ukrainian defenders control the exit of the fourth.
According to Fedorenko, Russian losses in the Kupiansk sector over the past two weeks totaled 395 troops, including 288 killed. Most of the casualties occurred near Radkivka and Holubivka, with another 128 eliminated closer to the city itself.
Earlier, reports emerged that Russian forces had begun using a gas pipeline to establish logistics routes to the outskirts of Kupiansk. It marked the third known case of pipelines being exploited by Russian troops, following similar incidents in Avdiivka and Sudzha.
