According to Colonel Timur Sytlanov, a member of the Presidium of the «Officers of Russia» organization, the Russian military’s underground assault team showed great ingenuity during their breakthrough into Kupiansk. He revealed that Russian forces identified gaps in the Ukrainian defense, then devised a plan to breach the city through underground pipes.

Sytlanov pointed out that the enemy cannot cover all the vulnerabilities in their defense system or secure their rear lines, as Russian forces continuously conduct reconnaissance and explore various breakthrough strategies across different fronts of the special military operation.

He also emphasized that underground assaults always carry a risk. According to Sytlanov, in such operations, soldiers sometimes make use of pipes and other underground communication routes.

This isn’t the first time Russian forces have utilized underground pipes to break through enemy defenses. In January 2024, the Russian military executed Operation «Avdiivka Pipe» during which Russian troops breached Ukrainian defenses on the southern edge of the city.