President Vladimir Putin visited the command post of the Western Military District on 20/11, where he met with the Chief of the General Staff, the head of the General Staff's Main Operations Directorate, and the commanders of the Western and Southern military districts, the Kremlin reported.
The Western Military District is responsible for operations in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkov province and parts of the Donbass region, comprising Lugansk and Donetsk provinces. Video released by Russian media showed Mr. Putin in military fatigues, greeted by Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov.
During a subsequent meeting, General Gerasimov reported that units of the Western Military District had gained full control of Kupyansk city in Kharkov province and were continuing to attack Ukrainian units isolated on the east bank of the Oskol River.
President Putin stated that Russian forces had encircled a significant number of Ukrainian troops in Kupyansk-Uzlovoy, a village located on the east bank of the Oskol River and south of the Kupyansk stronghold, along with the surrounding area. "Eighteen Ukrainian battalions were previously deployed here. General Gerasimov just reported that about 15 battalions remain now," Mr. Putin said.
General Sergey Kuzovlev, commander of the Western Military District, stated that his forces had thwarted attempts by Ukrainian units to break out of the encirclement. He described Kupyansk as a "critical link" in Ukraine's defense system in Kharkov province.
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Location of the Kupyansk stronghold in Kharkov province. Graphics: RYV |
General Gerasimov also provided updates on other fronts, noting that the Eastern Military District was expanding its control in Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia provinces, having captured 13 settlements and an additional 230 km2 of territory since 1/11.
The Central Military District is continuing to deplete Ukrainian forces encircled on the Pokrovsk front, while the Northern Military District has secured 80% of Vovchansk city in Kharkov province.
Ukrainian officials have not yet commented on this information.
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Russian 2S7M self-propelled artillery firing at Ukrainian positions on the front line on 16/10. Photo: Russian Ministry of Defense |
Kupyansk, spanning over 33 km2, is located approximately 100 km from Kharkov, the provincial capital. It is a strategic city for transportation, connecting railway and road networks in northeastern Ukraine, and forms part of Ukraine's key defense line in Kharkov province.
Russia initially captured Kupyansk during the early stages of the conflict but was repelled by Ukraine in a swift counter-offensive at the end of 2022. Russian media suggest that recapturing Kupyansk would enable Russian forces to advance further west.
On 26/10, the Russian military reported having encircled approximately 5,000 Ukrainian soldiers on the Kupyansk front. Assault detachments from the 68th Motorized Rifle Division then maneuvered and outflanked, seizing a bridgehead on the Oskol River, south of Kupyansk.
Nguyen Tien (According to RIA Novosti, AFP)
