Russian commanders have effectively trapped their own 122nd Motorized Rifle Regiment in Kupyansk (Kharkiv region), because, on paper, the territory has already been declared “captured,” while in reality active fighting continues there.
According to a Telegram report by the Atesh partisan movement, the regiment’s leadership has created a critical situation for its own troops.
“The command of the 122nd regiment doomed its soldiers to destruction in Kupyansk. An Atesh agent from the 122nd Motorized Rifle Regiment of the Russian Armed Forces reports on the critical situation that has developed in the Kupyansk [sector] due to the lies of the Russian command,” the statement says.
Atesh claims the regiment’s headquarters prematurely reported the capture of several positions in the city and its outskirts, seeking to demonstrate quick successes to Moscow and strengthen negotiating positions.
As the Atesh movement reports, these areas are already listed as “rear” zones in official documents, while in reality fierce battles are still underway.
“As a result, assault groups of the occupiers, pinned down by Ukrainian fire in urban areas, have found themselves in a bureaucratic trap. They are requesting fire support to suppress Ukrainian machine gun positions and snipers, but the artillery of the 122nd regiment is silent,” the report says.
According to official reports and headquarters maps, Russian troops are supposedly already present in this sector, making artillery strikes on these coordinates formally prohibited.
An Atesh agent in an artillery unit says this situation benefits the resistance. Gun crews, citing bans on firing at “their own territories,” effectively leave forward infantry units without support.
“While the command is drafting positive reports, their assault troops are being methodically destroyed in fire pockets without any chance of help,” the report reads.
“The lies of the generals have become the most effective weapon against the Russian army itself,” Atesh says.
Meanwhile, State Border Guard Service spokesperson Andriy Demchenko said during a national telethon that in the Kharkiv region Ukrainian forces are clearing settlements and capturing Russian soldiers following failed assaults.
According to Demchenko, Moscow continues attempts to push deeper into Ukrainian territory and expand the combat zone.
“The hottest areas right now are near the settlements of Dihtyarne, Nesterne, and Kruhle,” he said.
He reported that Russian forces are attempting to advance in small infantry groups without armored vehicles, resulting in heavy losses.
“I would like to note that our units are not only repelling attacks but also clearing this area,” Demchenko said, implying a de facto loss for Kremlin forces.
He added that Ukrainian troops are taking Russian soldiers prisoner after they attempt to cross into Ukrainian territory.
The spokesperson also said Russian activity remains high in the Vovchanskyi Khutory area, within defensive zones held by border guard units.
Recently, Ukraine rejected Russian General Staff claims that Kupyansk-Vuzlovyi in the Kharkiv region has been “captured,” saying the settlement remains under Ukrainian control.
The denial came from Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation at Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council. He accused Russian General Staff Chief Valery Gerasimov of constructing a “parallel reality” for Vladimir Putin.
“Gerasimov is reinforcing Putin’s parallel reality. Another lie about the capture of Kupyansk-Vuzlovyi is quite funny, since the Russians do not control either Kupyansk or Kupyansk-Vuzlovyi,” Kovalenko said.
He added that Ukrainian forces are close to fully clearing Russian troops from the Kupyansk area and claimed Gerasimov is presenting Putin with paper reports about “control of Kupyansk” and “Vuzlovyi” that do not reflect reality.
According to Kovalenko, Moscow’s aim is to fabricate “breakthroughs on the front” for its domestic audience and then amplify the narrative abroad via bot networks, betting that foreign audiences may not grasp the local geography or situation.
Ukraine’s Joint Forces Group also dismissed the Russian claims, stating that Kupyansk-Vuzlovyi is “not only not under the control of the invaders, it is not even adjacent to the direct line of contact,” and accusing Russian generals of inventing successes “from scratch.”