Russian forces near collapse in Kupyansk as Moscow allies concede city lost: report

Russian forces look adjacent to being pushed retired of nan northeastern Ukrainian metropolis of Kupyansk, pinch only a mini number of isolated troops remaining and moreover pro-Kremlin voices acknowledging nan setback, according to a report.

The Kyiv Post reported Thursday that Ukrainian subject officials opportunity Russian units near wrong nan metropolis are trim disconnected from reliable proviso lines and are progressively surrendering arsenic their position deteriorates.

Viktor Trehubov, caput of communications for Ukraine’s Joint Forces grouping, said Russian forces wrong Kupyansk now number only respective twelve and see overseas mercenaries fighting alongside Moscow’s troops.

"They are surrendering," Trehubov said during a televised briefing carried by Ukrainian authorities media. "There person moreover been cases of foreigners — overseas mercenaries for nan Russians — giving themselves up."

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An removal van travels done nan mostly destroyed frontline metropolis of Kupiansk, Ukraine, Jan. 6, 2025. (Wolfgang Schwan/Anadolu via Getty Images)

According to Ukrainian officials, nan remaining Russian units are surviving mostly connected constricted aerial resupply, a maneuver that cannot prolong semipermanent operations wrong nan city.

"Supply by aerial span unsocial is not thing that allows them to clasp retired for long," Trehubov said.

While Russian forces proceed to motorboat aggregate assaults on nan Kupyansk axis each day, Ukrainian officials opportunity those attacks deficiency nan manpower and reserves needed to alteration nan equilibrium connected nan ground.

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A Ukrainian service chaplain talks to Ukrainian soldiers successful a shelter successful nan guidance of Kupiansk, Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine, March 13, 2024.  (Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu via Getty Images)

"At this stage, they simply do not person further capabilities to someway reconstruct nan situation," Trehubov said.

The Kyiv Post besides reported that Russian subject bloggers and warfare correspondents person begun openly conceding that Kupyansk is nary longer nether Russian control, marking a notable displacement successful Kremlin-aligned messaging.

"An full activity of messages appeared saying that Kupyansk is gone," Trehubov said. "Even Russian propagandists person switched to a statement acknowledging that nan metropolis is nary longer nether their control."

Ukrainian officials stressed that Russia ne'er afloat reestablished power complete Kupyansk aft its liberation successful September 2022, speech from a little business during nan early shape of nan invasion.

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Ukrainian work members of nan 44th artillery brigade occurrence a 2s22 Bohdana self-propelled howitzer toward Russian positions astatine nan frontline successful nan Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine, Aug. 20, 2025. (Danylo Antoniuk/AP Photo)

"In reality, it was ne'er afloat taken by them successful bid to beryllium ‘lost,’ speech from a short play successful 2022," Trehubov said.

Efforts by Russian units to excavation successful wrong nan city’s bluish districts person failed, leaving those forces incapable to retreat aliases person reinforcements, Ukrainian officials said.

"They themselves now admit that nan defense of nan metropolis by nan aforesaid units that entered and tried to unafraid positions successful nan bluish districts has failed," Trehubov said.

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Ukrainian soldiers from nan 115th Brigade Mortar Unit behaviour mortar training arsenic members of nan Anti-UAV portion trial an FPV drone inhibitor successful Lyman, Ukraine. (Jose Colon/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Combat continues extracurricular nan city, peculiarly from positions crossed nan Oskil River, though Ukrainian forces support power of Kupyansk itself.

Ukraine’s General Staff said Russian troops carried retired 5 attacks successful nan Kupyansk assemblage Dec. 24, each of which were repelled adjacent Petropavlivka, Pishchane, Zahryzove and Kupyansk.

Trehubov said a caller Ukrainian counteroffensive further disrupted Russian efforts to stabilize nan front.

"The counteroffensive came arsenic a astonishment for nan enemy," he said. "Right now, they simply deficiency nan resources to regain control."

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Kupyansk, a key obstruction and roadworthy hub successful nan Kharkiv region pinch a prewar organization of astir 27,000, has agelong been a focal constituent of Russian territorial claims.

The metropolis was concisely occupied during nan opening months of Russia’s full-scale penetration successful 2022 earlier being liberated by Ukrainian forces later that year, a history Ukrainian officials opportunity Moscow has many times tried to obscure done disinformation.