Ukrainian troops from the National Guard’s 13th “Khartia” Brigade repelled a large-scale Russian assault in the Kharkiv region, killing about 70 Russian soldiers.
According to the brigade’s press service, over the course of the week, Russian troops have repeatedly tried to break through positions in its area of responsibility north of Kharkiv, but it said all assaults were repelled.
Khartia also released a video showing combat operations against Russian troops.
Trigger warning: sensitive content
Kyiv Post was unable to independently verify the time and location of the footage, which shows Russian soldiers being targeted by drone-dropped munitions.
“Thanks to the coordinated actions of Khartia’s infantry, drone operators, artillery units, and other elements, the enemy’s attempt was unsuccessful. We continue to defend the Kharkiv region and keep Kharkiv secure,” the brigade said.
The repelled assault comes as Ukrainian forces retake control over the Kupyansk City Council building during efforts to lift the city’s blockade.
The operation was carried out under the command of the National Guard’s 2nd Corps.
Soldiers from the Reconnaissance and Strike Group of the 4th Battalion of the Khartia Brigade raised the Ukrainian national flag over the city hall building in Kupyansk’s city center on Jan. 12.
“The Kupyansk operation proves that through proper planning, the training of commanders and headquarters, and high-quality preparation of units, the enemy can be successfully stopped and destroyed,” said Colonel Ihor Obolensky, commander of the 2nd Corps.
In mid-December, fierce battles raged in Kupyansk, with encircled Russian units offering tough resistance as Ukrainian forces pushed to eliminate them.
Ihor Raikov, head of the unmanned systems service of the 13th “Khartia” Brigade, said the operation to liberate Kupyansk began in September and was carried out in stages.
Ukrainian forces first cut Russian supply lines and encircled Kremlin units in the city, before moving on to localization, stabilization, and clearing operations.
According to Raikov, Russian logistics were sustained only by drones, after repeated attempts to break through by land failed. He added that Russian troops also tried to reach encircled units through an underground pipe, but the route remains under constant Ukrainian fire control.
On Dec. 15, the Atesh partisan movement reported that more than 30 Russian soldiers were surrounded in central Kupyansk, including troops from the 121st and 122nd motorized rifle regiments barricaded in the city’s hospital and nearby residential buildings.
Earlier, on Dec. 12, Khartia said its forces had blocked Russian units in Kupyansk and cleared the city’s entire northwestern part.
The Ukrainian command reported more than 1,000 Russian troops neutralized, multiple nearby settlements liberated, all ground supply routes severed, and Ukrainian forces reaching the Oskil River north of Kupyansk.
Ukraine also blew up a gas pipeline that Russian forces were trying to use to enter Kupyansk, completely sealing off that route.
In December, President Volodymyr Zelensky published a video filmed near Kupyansk’s outskirts, countering Russian claims that the city had been captured or encircled. He told troops that gains on the Kupyansk front were strategically important and could strengthen Ukraine’s position in future peace negotiations.