A combat mission worthy of a Hollywood movie

In Fayetteville, Arkansas there is a pretty lake called Lake Fayetteville. (I know, clever name!). I discovered the lake when I first moved here 5 years ago. Around the lake is a nice bike path that is approximately 5 miles long. When the weather was nice, I would often walk around the lake. It took me around an hour and a half. Near the end of the walk, I could feel the weariness of my leg muscles. I was always happy to see the end and be able to relax.

In the Kursk region of Russia, we have learned of a daring military adventure the likes of which we have never previously seen. Three hundred Russian special forces entered a gas pipeline and traveled approximately 7.5 miles. The exit of the pipeline was behind the Ukrainian troops defending the front.

The Russian special forces swarmed out of the pipeline like ants. Suddenly, the Ukrainian forces found themselves under fire from their rear. This was supposed to be impossible. If a flank should collapse in battle, typically there is communication to the other troops to pull back and straighten the line. But in this case, there was no warning. Russians were shooting at them from behind as if they were ghosts.

The Ukrainian troops in the Kursk region were the best equipped and trained soldiers of the Ukrainian army. Zelensky considered their mission vital for propaganda reasons. The mighty Ukrainian army held Russian soil! Such a feat would surely inspire the world and keep the money flowing in.

However, after the initial invasion of Kursk in August of 2024, the Ukrainians became bogged down. They built fortifications in the Fall and hunkered down for the winter. During the winter, Russian artillery and drones mercilessly pounded Ukrainian positions. Ukrainians faced an endless stream of casualties every week. The men who replaced the dead and wounded tended to be younger and less experienced. Many of these young men did not want to be part of the war. But what could they do? They were pulled off the streets and told to go fight under penalty of death if they refused.

Then the Ukrainian heard stories that America was growing weary of funding this war and wanted a peace settlement. The glorious victory over Russia was not going to happen. At that point, many of the soldiers decided the best course of action was to play it safe and not be the last man to die before a peace settlement is reached.

It was under these conditions when the Russian special forces suddenly popped out of the ground in the dead of night. No one understood what was happening. Was the attack real? Or were people panicking? Command and control broke down. Eventually, the Ukrainian soldiers did what soldiers have done throughout history when things go bad, they threw down their weapons and ran to what they thought was safety. But there is no safety in the night with modern infrared drone technology. The Russians hunted them down as they ran.

Many conditions made the situation brittle for the Ukranians on the front. But the surprise pipeline attack was the proverbial straw that broke their back.

The attack was seemingly impossible. Just a few months ago the gas line was filled with toxic gas headed to heat the homes of Western Europeans. Zelensky then ordered the gas shutoff in a show of defiance against the Russians. The Russians complied and they shut off the gas. But then some commander has a crazy idea. And, secretly, the Russians started to pump oxygen into the pipeline.

Gas pipelines are not meant for humans. The pipeline is 4 feet and 7 inches in diameter. As such, it was impossible for a grown man to walk upright through the pipeline. The only way through the pipeline was on hands and knees crawling across the hard metal in darkness. These men crawled 7.5 miles while carrying a rifle and full battle gear. It was a crazy suicide mission. These soldiers had to stay in the pipeline for days waiting for the order to exit. A pipeline does not have a nice toilet, shower or comfy bed. The soldiers had to eat, sleep and shit in tight quarters. At any moment the Ukrainians might detect them. If that happened, they would have been squashed like ants in a tunnel.

But the Russians were not squashed. The crazy plan worked, and the Ukrainians ended up in a chaotic retreat. It looks like Kursk will soon be back in Russian hands. In large part this was because of a crazy plan.

I hope they will make a movie of this event. Of course, Hollywood would probably cast the Russian soldiers as women and blacks.