Russia Now Deems Famed 'Gas Pipe Attack "Meaningless"

At the time, the attack generated a lot of coverage because it was the first instance since the beginning of the war of Russian forces actually doing something creative. 

The problem was that the surprise was discovered, the attack was repulsed - and many Russian troops suffered burnt lungs and respiratory damage from inhaling the gas. The Ukrainian units they intended to attack were already withdrawing so the entire episode was a waste of lives and effort. JL

Sofia Polonska reports in Espreso Global:

The Russian special forces operation dubbed "Pipe" or "Flow", was carried out in March this year. Russian forces crawled through a 1.4-metre-wide unused gas pipeline for 15 kilometers to attack Ukrainian troops in Sudzha in Kursk oblast. It has now been deemed unnecessary, as Ukrainian forces were already withdrawing, rendering the mission futile. "After the wave of euphoria among Russian propagandists, from the facts that are surfacing - including reports of Russian soldiers suffocating in the pipe - are horrified by the immorality and meaninglessness of the operation."

Russian General Lapin’s attack via gas pipeline was deemed unnecessary, with Ukrainian forces already withdrawing, rendering the mission futile

Ukrainian military observer Oleksandr Kovalenko has analyzed Russian special forces operation dubbed "Pipe" or "Flow", which was carried out in March this year. Russian forces crawled through a 1.4-metre-wide unused gas pipeline to attack Ukrainian troops in Sudzha in Russia's Kursk region.

"Since the information space is once again shaking from the "Pipe" operation and the whining of Russian propagandists themselves about how "pipe workers" with burnt lungs were simply abandoned, it's worth reminding that there was absolutely no reason for its execution," Kovalenko said.

The "unique" and "effective" operation "Pipe" was nothing more than an attempt by General Lapin to justify his incompetence.

The operation began to be planned three weeks before the Defense Forces of Ukraine started withdrawing their main forces from the Kursk region. It was at a time when the Ukrainian side stopped receiving intelligence data from the U.S. and logistics with Ukrainian units in the Kursk region significantly worsened, which led to the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces.

 

"In other words, the "Pipe" operation began when the decision to withdraw Ukrainian forces had already been made in the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and under cover of the rear guard, they began retreating southward, including from Sudzha. In other words, at that point, there was absolutely no sense in carrying it out," Kovalenko  underlined.

In general, the breakthrough into Sudzha might not have happened at all via the pipe, because General Lapin, commander of Russia's Sever (North) military grouping, was offered the option of deploying a helicopter assault. 

The operation proposed involving 2-3 Mi-8 helicopter units, with the possibility of landing 150 to 250 troops, and a cover unit with Mi-28N attack helicopters. The approach time to the landing site, considering the 15 kilometers of the pipe, was about 2-3 minutes.

But Alexander Lapin refused the airborne operation, not wanting to risk the helicopters, choosing the pipe option instead and starting it when it was already practically unnecessary.

"After the wave of euphoria among Russian propagandists, a moment of sobering up has arrived, and from the facts that are surfacing, together with those suffocating in the pipe, they themselves are horrified by the level of immorality and meaninglessness of the operation," Kovalenko summed up.