Russians use main gas pipeline to transport assault units in south, says Voloshyn

This was reported by Vladyslav Voloshyn, spokesperson for the Southern Defense Forces, in a comment to Ukrinform.

He stated that the Ukrainian troops have long been aware of the Russians’ intentions to use the gas pipeline for logistics and the infiltration of sabotage groups. Russian assault troops underwent training at specially equipped training grounds in the temporarily occupied territories.

“This is an entire system and a controlled infrastructure with elements of logistics, shelters, and even internal communications,” the spokesperson noted.

According to him, inside the gas pipeline, the Russians have set up posts, telephone lines, tunnels, and bypass tunnels in damaged sections. The pipeline's entrance is in territory controlled by the Russian Federation, while its exits are near positions of the Ukrainian Defense Forces.

Voloshyn noted that the mission of such enemy groups is to penetrate deep into Ukrainian defenses, carry out sabotage, and capture specific facilities. At the same time, some Russian soldiers voluntarily surrendered to Ukrainian defenders after exiting the gas pipeline, he reported.

As reported by Ukrinform, in April, soldiers of the  71st Separate Airmobile Brigade of the 8th Air Assault Corps of the Armed Forces of Ukraine eliminated 29 Russian invaders who were attempting to infiltrate behind Ukrainian lines in the Sumy region via a gas pipeline.

The photo is provided by Vladyslav Voloshyn, spokesperson for the Southern Defense Forces