Russian Troops Pinned Down in Kupyansk as Ukraine Moves to Clear the City

Active fighting continues in the city of Kupyansk, in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, where surrounded Russian units are offering “very tough” resistance, but Ukrainian Defense Forces are continuing an operation to eliminate them.

Ihor Raikov, head of the unmanned systems service of the 13th National Guard “Khartia” Brigade, told Army TV the operation to liberate Kupyansk began in September and was not a one-off action.

Ukrainian forces formed a search-and-strike group that has been consistently implementing a two-stage plan to neutralize Russian troops.

“The first stage was cutting off logistics and surrounding the enemy in the city itself. That part was completed successfully,” Raikov said. “The second stage is the localization of the enemy in the city, stabilization measures, and directly clearing the city.”

According to Raikov, Russian logistics are now carried out exclusively by drones, as repeated attempts to break through a land corridor have failed.

He said Russian troops even tried to reach their surrounded units through an underground pipe, but the route remains under constant fire control and reconnaissance.

“The pipe is blocked. Any such attempt by the enemy cannot end in success at the moment, and this allows us to carry out actions inside the city,” he said.

On Monday, Dec. 15, the Atesh partisan movement reported that more than 30 Russian soldiers were surrounded in central Kupyansk.

Other Topics of Interest

Russians Reportedly Withdraw From Ukraine’s Kinburn Spit – Why the Fuss?

Russian units stationed on the Kinburn Spit in Ukraine’s Mykolaiv region are reportedly withdrawing from parts of the occupied area after Ukrainian strikes disrupted key supply routes, according to the Atesh partisan group. The group said deliveries of ammunition, fuel, and food had been cut off, forcing elements of Russia’s 337th Regiment to abandon some positions.

According to the group, servicemen from Russia’s 121st and 122nd motorized rifle regiments remain encircled in the city’s central hospital, while additional groups are barricaded in basements of nearby residential buildings with no escape routes.

“Our agents report that the city has been almost completely liberated by the Ukrainian Defense Forces. The encirclement came as a surprise to the occupiers,” Atesh said, adding that fighting continues on the outskirts.

Dec. 12 Ukraine’s Khartia National Guard Brigade said its forces had blocked Russian units in Kupyansk and cleared the entire northwestern part of the city.

Ukrainian troops reportedly eliminated more than 1,000 Russian soldiers, liberated several nearby settlements, reached the Oskil River north of Kupyansk, and cut off all Russian ground supply routes.

The Russian force in Kupyansk, numbering over 200 troops, has been fully encircled, according to Ukrainian command.

“Fighting in the city center is still ongoing, but soon Ukrainian Kupyansk will be completely liberated,” said Colonel Ihor “Cornet” Obolensky, commander of the 2nd Corps of the Khartia National Guard.

Ukrainian forces also destroyed a gas pipeline Russian units were attempting to use to infiltrate the city, fully blocking the route.

President Volodymyr Zelensky later that day published a video from Kupyansk, filmed near the city limits, despite recent Russian claims that the city had been captured or encircled. Explosions can be heard in the background of the footage.

Zelensky told troops that gains on the Kupyansk front were critical and could influence ongoing peace negotiations, stressing that strong battlefield positions translate into stronger diplomatic leverage.