Soldiers of the 65th Mechanized Brigade captured Russian troops who were trying to infiltrate Ukrainian rear positions on the Orikhiv axis in the Zaporizhzhia region through a major gas pipeline.
Southern Defense Forces spokesperson Vladyslav Voloshyn told Ukrinform that Ukrainian forces had long known about Russia’s plans to use the pipeline for logistics and to secretly deploy sabotage and reconnaissance groups.
According to Voloshyn, the Russian assault troops trained for the operation at specially prepared training grounds in temporarily occupied territories.
“This is an entire system and a controlled infrastructure with elements of logistics, shelters, and even internal communications,” the spokesperson said.
According to him, the Russians set up positions, telephone lines, dugouts, and bypass tunnels inside the gas pipeline in damaged sections. The pipeline’s entrance is in territory controlled by Russia, while its exits are near positions of the Ukrainian Defense Forces.
According to the captured Russian soldiers, the infiltration operation involved a gas pipeline with a diameter of 1,000 mm. Troops moved through it using small carts and scooters, traveling more than 13 kilometers inside the pipe.
Based on their description, the Russians likely used a branch of the Shebelynka–Dnipropetrovsk–Kryvyi Rih–Izmail gas pipeline system, specifically the line leading to Enerhodar or Melitopol.
“It was obvious there was no way back. After each group entered the pipeline, it was welded shut behind them. Whether the group had 6, 8, or 12 men, the pipe was sealed after them,” he said.
According to the captured Russian soldiers, leaflets with instructions on how to surrender were scattered near the pipeline exit. Soon after the troops emerged from the pipe, they came under attack from Ukrainian bomber drones, FPV drones, and infantry units.
“After the Baba Yaga drone and the FPV drones flew off, I heard voices calling out. At first, I didn’t understand who it was, but then I realized they were Ukrainian soldiers,” one of the POWs said.
Fighting on the Orikhiv front
The Orikhiv sector remains a relatively quiet part of the frontline. According to Ukraine’s General Staff, Russian forces did not conduct offensive operations on the Oleksandrivka and Orikhiv axes on May 16.
Meanwhile, Russian troops continue to intensify attacks on the Huliaipole axis. A total of 24 assaults were recorded there, including attempts to reach Orikhiv from the eastern direction.
According to Vladyslav Voloshyn, on the Orikhiv axis, Russian forces are actively trying to concentrate personnel at forward positions near the settlements of Shcherbaky and Novoandriivka. They have also increased aerial reconnaissance in Balabyne, Malokaterynivka, Kushuhum, and settlements on the right bank.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Defense Forces are carrying out active counterattacks in this sector and restoring positions, including in the area of Prymorske on the shore of the former Kakhovka Reservoir.
Despite ongoing danger and evacuation orders, as of early April, about 500 people remained in Orikhiv, out of a population of 14,100 recorded in 2021.
