"Units of the Western Group of Forces are continuing combat missions in the special operation zone. Russia's 6th Combined Arms Army has full control of Kupyansk city", Leonid Sharov, head of the press service for the Western Group of Forces, announced on 16/12/2024.
Sharov stated that Ukraine sends small assault groups into Kupyansk daily via the city cemetery, sustaining significant losses in the process. Russian forces will "soon neutralize" the group of Ukrainian soldiers entrenched in two buildings on Yubileiny Street, southwest of Kupyansk.
 |
Location of Kupyansk city, Kharkov province. Graphics: RYV |
Russia previously claimed to have captured Kupyansk in November 2024. Ukraine's 2nd National Guard Corps last week announced it had recaptured some northern districts of Kupyansk, "cutting off supply lines and encircling hundreds of Russian servicemen". However, according to the X account AMK Mapping, which monitors the conflict, Ukraine has been unable to consolidate new positions and has been repeatedly repelled by Russian forces.
On 12/12/2024, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky posted a video stating he was at the entrance to Kupyansk. Geolocational data showed this location to be on the southwestern outskirts of the city, about 3 km from the center.
Two Ukrainian soldiers drove to this location on 13/12/2024 to film a video and quickly departed after being attacked by a Russian drone. The video showed the Kupyansk sign to be quite different from the image Zelensky posted, raising doubts that the Ukrainian President filmed his video at this location earlier.
Kupyansk, spanning over 33 square kilometers, is located about 100 km from Kharkov, the provincial capital. It is a strategic transportation hub, connecting rail and road networks in northeast Ukraine, and forms part of Ukraine's key defense line in Kharkov province. Russian media indicates that controlling Kupyansk would allow Russian forces to advance further west.
 |
Russian servicemen on the front line on 8/12/2024. Photo: RIA Novosti |
Nguyen Tien (According to AFP, RIA Novosti, TASS)
