Kursk/Sudzha, March 9 — Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev stated on Sunday that Russian forces had nearly encircled Ukrainian troops in the Kursk region.
"The lid of the smoking cauldron is almost closed. The offensive continues," he wrote on Telegram, as reported by Reuters.
Russian special forces allegedly advanced miles inside a gas pipeline before launching an attack near the town of Sudzha.
According to the Associated Press, some troops remained hidden in the pipeline for days before striking Ukrainian positions from the rear.
Images shared on Russian Telegram channels depicted troops navigating the tunnel with gas masks and headlamps.
Ukraine’s General Staff confirmed that Russian forces used the pipeline to advance but insisted that they suffered significant losses.
"Russian special forces are being detected, blocked, and destroyed. The enemy’s losses in Sudzha are very high," the statement read.
Last August, Ukraine launched its largest cross-border offensive since World War II, seizing 1,000 square kilometers in Kursk, including Sudzha.
Kyiv had hoped the move would pressure Moscow into reallocating troops from eastern Ukraine.
However, Russian forces have since regained ground, putting Ukrainian troops in an increasingly difficult position, AFP reported.
