Russia’s pipeline into Kupiansk is now its escape route—with kidnapped civilians as human shields, Ukraine says

Russian troops withdrawing from the vicinity of Kupiansk have reportedly abducted civilians, including children and elderly residents, and forced them into a gas pipeline to shield their retreat, according to the 2nd National Guard Corps Khartia. The men of military age accompanying the abducted civilians were likely former Russian soldiers who had shed their uniforms.

The reconnaissance drones of the corps captured footage of this incident on September 27, 2026, which Ukrainian forces observed but refrained from engaging due to the presence of civilians. Ukrainian military authorities have previously accused Russia of employing civilians as human shields in Kupiansk during their offensive. Recent reports indicate that the pipeline, previously utilized by Russian saboteurs, is now serving as an escape route for these abducted civilians toward occupied territory.

The footage shows nine individuals, comprising children, elderly residents, and a person on crutches, walking alongside men of military age in civilian clothing. They were led from Kupiansk through the Holubivka village and eventually into the Shebelynka-Ostrohozhsk gas pipeline. The civilians would traverse approximately 10 kilometers through the darkness before exiting the pipe in a forest, where they would likely be taken to occupied territory.

The Khartia Corps claims to have documented this case, and the collected materials will be handed over for a potential war crimes investigation. Ukrainian forces refrained from opening fire during this incident, primarily due to the presence of children and elderly individuals among the abducted civilians. The Khartia Corps cautions that Russian propaganda could misinterpret the footage as an evacuation or rescue operation.

Khartia emphasizes the nature of the incident as an abduction. Concurrently, Ukrainian forces have been advancing in other directions, with the Third Army Corps' Operation Vivaldi regaining control of 125 square kilometers in Donetsk Oblast, including 50 square kilometers previously under Russian occupation. The operation has inflicted over 3,000 casualties among Russian personnel, effectively dismantling Russia's intended Lyman pincer maneuver.

Meanwhile, near Kupiansk, Ukrainian defense forces continue their push against Russian forces, aiming to reach the Oskil River, while the liberation of forests surrounding Dvorichna and Zapadne has diminished the overall threat to the city.