The participants of the operation in Sudja talked about their bravery against the enemy "karnay"

On March 12, 2025, the head of the Russian Armed Forces General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, announced that over 600 soldiers participated in the operation to cross the gas pipeline at a distance of 12 to 15 km behind enemy lines. During this operation, the "Veterans" brigade (who planned it), the "Akhmat" special forces, the 11th Air Assault Brigade, and the 30th Mechanized Infantry Regiment distinguished themselves with their bravery in liberating the town of Sudja in Kursk.

Gerasimov emphasized the heroic actions of the "Combined Assault Unit," which were unexpected for the enemy and helped to break its defenses and continue the offensive of the Russian Armed Forces in the Kursk region. TASS reporters spoke with participants of the "Black Wolf" 11th Air Assault Brigade.

This operation (also referred to as the "Stream" operation) is expected to be included in training manuals and to remain in history as a unique and brave maneuver of the Russian Armed Forces. Russian President Vladimir Putin listed all Russian troops liberating the Kursk region from the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) and expressed his gratitude to them.

- "The 'Akhmat' special forces, the 'Veterans' volunteer formation, distinguished themselves with their exceptional bravery and effectiveness. I also want to thank the leadership of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff for their work," said Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Beginning of the Operation

Information about the operation was only disseminated to the media on March 8. According to the fighters, due to the uniqueness and secrecy of the operation, they only learned about the combat mission before it began.

"We were told that we needed to go a long distance, along the pipeline within an hour, because this information could not be disseminated in any way. After all, there are young people who could leak it. Just three machine gunners could have held everyone back," said a small shooter with the call sign "Shalniy."

In the Pipeline

We walked for four days. However, not everyone walked: the diameter of the pipeline was about 140 cm, and tall guys had to crawl, sometimes on their knees, sometimes on their bellies. We moved in full combat gear: machine gun, armor, backpack, thermal blanket - not counting the "sinks" with ammunition, totaling an additional weight of 40-45 kg. On the first day, the lights went out, it was dark. For many, it was very difficult. Friends somehow supported their combat spirit.

A mandatory condition was to maintain complete silence. UAF fighters were walking directly above them. The guys could hear their steps, their words. Especially in the ventilation spots (holes measuring 20x20 cm for exiting), they had to move carefully – those holes were necessary for people to breathe while the pipeline was being prepared for the operation. In the darkness, heat, and weight of the equipment, they moved slowly.

"It was dark, dirty. There was little air, not enough. After walking about 50 meters – we would rest for 2-3 minutes, then walk another 50 meters – we would rest for 2-3 minutes. Of course, it was difficult," said the machine gunner "Buba."

The thick metal of the pipeline left no opportunity for establishing constant radio communication. Therefore, mini-bunkers – communication zones were dug, through which it was possible to quickly find out the condition of the fighters, who needed help or just water. Sometimes this communication helped to save our friend in time.

"Due to the lack of air, since the pipeline was gas-filled, it was necessary to burn it completely to release the gas. Therefore, the remaining gas led to hallucinations. Only a friendly shoulder helps to overcome such a difficult task," said the senior shooter "Shalniy."

"People endured these inhuman conditions, but their uniforms simply fell apart after the pipeline. They could be ready for battle, but not for the pipeline. Due to constant condensation, it got wet, the threads unraveled. The soldiers were always wet, in mud, oil, and black soot. 'Perhaps even a 'Karcher' couldn't clean this equipment,' joked 'Shalniy.'"

Behind Enemy Lines

The exit from the pipeline occurred on the fifth day and lasted for 18 hours. Due to the necessity of maintaining secrecy, the exit points were carried out by five people in the evening and at night. This astonished the Ukrainian Armed Forces nationalists: they could not understand what was happening, they fired randomly everywhere, but not at the place where our guys were exiting.

Ukrainian fighters were also confused by the blue tape on the arms of the people exiting the pipeline: Russian soldiers had installed UAF recognition marks. This was, of course, done deliberately to completely mislead the enemy.

Attack

It was necessary to act behind enemy lines: the enemy's "birds" were not sleeping, and their numbers were very large. They also struck with cluster munitions. Russian soldiers immediately launched an attack, capturing the village of Mirniy, Sudja, and the main road.

Many of our guys were injured at the beginning of the battle, while exiting the pipeline. They were not evacuated. They continued to carry out their combat mission.

"The unit commander said: 'Guys, you need to rest, you have injuries.' I said: 'No, I want to keep moving.' He said: 'No, the main task has been accomplished on your part, so go, rest, regain your strength,'" said Shalniy.

We did not leave our positions, continuing the attack despite our injuries. Therefore, only after completing the combat mission were we sent here [to the hospital]," said the senior shooter "Shalniy."

"Pipeline 2.0"

The operation was referred to among the people as "Pipeline 2.0." The Russian Armed Forces had experience successfully conducting a similar operation near Avdeyevka in January 2024.

At that time, Russian soldiers bypassed enemy defense lines through underground pipelines and then held 19 buildings for several days. The capture of positions behind the UAF was carried out before the Russian forces' attacks on the fortifications south of Avdeyevka. Russian President Vladimir Putin called that operation "a special page in the history of combat operations."

The diameter of the "Avdeyevka" pipeline was smaller (from 0.8 to 1.2 m), but it required closer movement – about 3.7 km. The participants of the current operation, of course, were aware of the Avdeyevka operation, stating that no one expected such a thing to happen twice.

Plans

A few days after being hospitalized, the boys voluntarily applied for discharge. They want to return to the transport base and, after a short recovery, return to combat missions. Their motivation is to serve the Fatherland and their comrades who continued without them.

Our heroes modestly say about the operation: "The task was very complex, it was difficult to accomplish, but we did it."