Ukraine has reported successfully thwarting a surprise attack conducted by Russia through a gas pipeline in Kursk on Sunday, saying enemy losses were “very high”.

Russian special forces crept about 15 km into a gas pipeline, spending several days inside, in an attempt to surprise Ukrainian forces near Sudzha in western Kursk, according to pro-Russian military bloggers.

The attack comes as Russia intensifies efforts to recapture the Kursk region, which Ukraine took eight months ago and has used as a strategic bargaining chip. The push to retake Kursk follows after Donald Trump cut intelligence sharing with Ukraine, leaving Kyiv “blind” to incoming attacks.

Ukraine’s General Staff confirmed that Russian “sabotage and assault groups” attempted to use the pipeline to establish a foothold outside Sudzha but were “detected in a timely manner”.

“At present, Russian special forces are being detected, blocked and destroyed. The enemy’s losses in Sudzha are very high,” the General Staff reported. Ukraine’s Air Assault Forces launched missile and artillery strikes, along with UAV systems, to target the invaders.