It is perhaps the most macabre scenario in Russia’s unjust war against Ukraine … the total disregard for the lives of their own soldiers, hundreds of thousands killed … for very little gain. The ill-fated and continuing third attempt by the Russians to capture the Kharkiv Oblast city of Kupiansk and its critical rail hub is proving to be a most tantalizing and deadly lure for the Russians.
It may have become even more so after President Zelenskyy personally went to Kupiansk to show the entire world that contrary to Putin’s grandiose boast and offer to provide journalists with a guided tour of the “newly captured city”, Kupiansk remains firmly Ukraine. For the Russian Maximum Leader, that must have really stung.
So perhaps the fourth time will be the charm for Putin and his minions at Kupiansk? Never mind the horrors that await their soldiers, Russian commanders are out there trying to sneak those poor saps through pipes under the Oskil River and into Kupiansk … again!!; The Ukrainians are waiting for them this time:
Kupiansk Isn’t Taken—Russia Just Keeps Losing Men In a Pipe
Armed with intelligence about the pipeline, Ukrainian forces identified its exit points and blocked Russian attempts to move troops across the river. Despite heavy losses, Russian commanders have continued using the same route.
“If they have anything, it’s manpower,” said a lieutenant colonel from Ukraine’s 13th Operational Brigade, “Khartiia,” callsign Abat, speaking to The Washington Post. “I use drones. They use people.”
“They send them through the pipeline just to test us,” he added. “If they send 10 men, maybe two make it out.”
Ukrainian drone crews now monitor every known pipeline exit. Washington Post reporters embedded with the operators witnessed repeated strikes on Russian soldiers emerging from the pipe.
Ukrainian commanders say the troops crawl roughly 15 kilometers through the pipeline, sometimes using electric scooters while crouched inside the confined space. Some soldiers have emerged showing signs of chemical poisoning.
united24media.com/...
And what about the ones that managed earlier to sneak into the city and caused so much havoc? A few are still there and the Ukrainians are hunting them down:
'Like whack-a-mole': Ukrainian troops hunt Russian soldiers through Kupiansk streets
Russian soldiers attempting to infiltrate the city through an abandoned gas pipeline are being systematically hunted by Ukrainian drone operators in what commanders describe as "search and destroy" missions. Washington Post reporters witnessed one such operation from an underground command center, where analysts from Ukraine's Khartia Brigade tracked a lone Russian soldier who had survived an earlier drone strike that killed his unit. After seeking shelter in an abandoned house, smoke from his fire revealed his position, and he was killed by a drone-dropped bomb.
"He's cooked!" shouted a Ukrainian soldier as the strike landed.
Fully clearing the city could take another six months due to the complex nature of searching for hidden soldiers while up to 100 Russian drones circle overhead, Abat said. Soldiers can hide in basements or small crevices, then ambush Ukrainian troops.
global.espreso.tv/...
It’s an absolute horror that a hubris-addled Putin has unleashed upon Ukraine and the world at large. But ADAPTIVE INDOMITABLE UKRAINE fit the battle.
SLAVA UKRAINI ! PEREMOHA(Victory)!!
