Russian troops recreated a tactic used during Operation Potok near Sudzha as part of the joint Wolverine Trail-2026 exercise with Sri Lanka, Zvezda TV reported. The maneuver involved using a pipe to approach a target covertly.

The active phase of the drills centered on a scenario involving an illegal armed group. Under the exercise plan, the group seized 50 hostages and demanded $1 million and a helicopter. While negotiations were under way, troops evacuated civilians from the area and used drones to conduct reconnaissance.

At the same time, special forces teams moved toward the settlement without revealing their approach. Their mission was to cut off potential escape routes and encircle the mock enemy.

Sri Lankan troops also shared their own operational experience with their Russian counterparts. Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army Dinesh Udugama said the country had experience gained during a war that lasted three decades, including small-unit operations, ambush tactics and coordination between separate groups.

The Russian side, in turn, demonstrated a tactic previously used during Operation Potok in the Kursk Region. During that operation, Russian units used a main gas pipeline to move covertly into the area near Sudzha.

Before entering the pipeline, troops from the Sever Group of Forces dug around 500 meters of trenches and tunnels. They then had to cover almost 15 kilometers inside the pipe. Acting Governor of the Kursk Region Alexander Khinshtein previously said the movement through the gas pipeline took six days.

The exercise also focused on the use of drones and electronic warfare systems. Semen Nikolayev, chief of staff of the 5th Army and head of the exercise, said Sri Lankan troops studied Russian UAVs, electronic warfare equipment and weapons.

During the final stage, tank crews struck the mock enemy before joint assault groups made up of troops from both countries moved in. They practiced seizing key facilities in the settlement and consolidating their positions.