Russian propaganda media has released videos purportedly showing control of Kupiansk, but the footage appears to show retreating soldiers instead, according to military analysts.

Last Saturday, the Russian Defense Ministry’s Zvezda TV channel published three separate videos claiming to demonstrate Russian military control over Kupiansk in Ukraine’s Kharkiv Region. Two of these videos show Russian forces at industrial facilities on the city’s outskirts—specifically a dairy cannery and a sugar plant located in the left-bank portion of Kupiansk.

The third and most contentious video depicts Russian soldiers moving through the northern area of the right-bank section of Kupiansk. While Russian state media presented this as evidence of their troops patrolling through controlled territory, military observers quickly noted inconsistencies in this narrative.

A Telegram channel that regularly covers the activities of Russia’s “Zapad” group of forces pointed out a critical detail: the video actually shows soldiers moving away from the city center, not toward it. “The right bank, the northernmost part of Kupiansk. But the most interesting thing here is that the fighters are moving towards the exit from the city,” the channel stated. “In the video, they have to pass a couple more houses and that’s it.”

The channel continued with a more concerning assessment of these troops’ situation, suggesting they would need to “make their way to Radkivka, dive into the pipes/swim across the Oskil and get out of the mess to the left bank, if they are lucky.”

Further contradicting Russia’s claims of control, Russian propagandist Vladimir Romanov acknowledged on December 29 that Russian forces are “still in three districts of Kupiansk” but described them as “completely surrounded” and “mined in a circle.” Romanov claimed to possess voice and video evidence of their precarious situation, threatening to publish it “in case of their death.”

These reports stand in stark contrast to the official Russian narrative of having “captured” Kupiansk, exposing growing divisions between Moscow’s public claims and the reality described by those closer to the frontlines.

Ukrainian sources present a different picture entirely. On December 12, Ukrainian defense officials announced that following a months-long operation, their forces had successfully cleared the northwestern part of Kupiansk and regained control of several settlements north of the city.

Ukrainian military reports from December 22 estimated that approximately 100 Russian soldiers remained trapped in central Kupiansk—down from an earlier estimate of 100-200 troops. This suggests a deteriorating position for Russian forces in the area.

The contested city of Kupiansk holds significant strategic importance in the Kharkiv Region. Captured by Russian forces early in the full-scale invasion, it was later liberated by Ukraine during their successful counteroffensive in the fall of 2022. The city has remained a focal point of military operations due to its position along key logistics routes and proximity to the Russian border.

This incident represents the latest example of information warfare surrounding territorial claims in the ongoing conflict, with both sides presenting competing narratives about control of key settlements. The discrepancy between official Russian claims and the assessments from military observers highlights the challenges of verifying battlefield information.

As fighting continues in eastern Ukraine, the situation in Kupiansk remains fluid, with Ukrainian forces appearing to hold the advantage in what has been a see-saw battle for control of this strategic Kharkiv Region city.