Ukrainian Forces on Verge of Fully Reclaiming Kupyansk as Russian Troops Retreat

Russian forces are on the brink of complete expulsion from the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kupyansk, with only a few dozen isolated troops remaining in the strategic rail and transportation hub, according to Ukrainian military officials.

Viktor Trehubov, head of communications for Ukraine’s Joint Forces grouping, reported during a televised briefing that the remaining Russian units inside Kupyansk have been cut off from reliable supply lines and are increasingly surrendering as their position deteriorates.

“They are surrendering,” Trehubov stated. “There have even been cases of foreigners – foreign mercenaries for the Russians – giving themselves up.”

According to Ukrainian officials, the isolated Russian forces are surviving primarily on limited air resupply operations, a tactic that military experts say cannot sustain long-term operations within an urban environment.

“Supply by air bridge alone is not something that allows them to hold out for long,” Trehubov explained, highlighting the precarious situation for the remaining Russian troops.

What makes this development particularly significant is that even pro-Kremlin voices and Russian military bloggers have begun publicly acknowledging the setback, marking a notable shift in messaging from Moscow-aligned sources.

“An entire wave of messages appeared saying that Kupyansk is gone,” Trehubov noted. “Even Russian propagandists have switched to a line acknowledging that the city is no longer under their control.”

The strategic importance of Kupyansk cannot be overstated. With a pre-war population of approximately 27,000, the city serves as a crucial rail and road junction in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region. Control of Kupyansk provides significant logistical advantages for military operations throughout the northeastern front.

Ukrainian officials emphasized that despite Russian claims, Moscow’s forces never fully re-established control over Kupyansk after its liberation by Ukrainian forces in September 2022. The city had been briefly occupied during the early months of Russia’s full-scale invasion before being recaptured by Ukraine.

“In reality, it was never fully taken by them in order to be ‘lost,’ aside from a short period in 2022,” Trehubov clarified, pushing back against Russian narratives about the city’s status.

Recent attempts by Russian units to establish defensive positions within the city’s northern districts have evidently failed, leaving those forces unable to either withdraw safely or receive reinforcements.

“They themselves now admit that the defense of the city by the same units that entered and tried to secure positions in the northern districts has failed,” Trehubov said.

While fighting continues on the outskirts of Kupyansk, particularly from Russian positions across the Oskil River, Ukrainian forces maintain effective control of the city itself. Ukraine’s General Staff reported that Russian troops carried out five attacks in the Kupyansk sector on December 24, all of which were repelled near the settlements of Petropavlivka, Pishchane, Zahryzove and Kupyansk.

According to Trehubov, a recent Ukrainian counteroffensive further disrupted Russian efforts to stabilize their positions along this section of the front.

“The counteroffensive came as a surprise for the enemy,” he said. “Right now, they simply lack the resources to regain control.”

The developments in Kupyansk come amid broader discussions of potential peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, though military operations continue across multiple fronts. While Russian forces continue launching multiple assaults along the Kupyansk axis each day, Ukrainian officials maintain these attacks lack the necessary manpower and reserves to change the situation on the ground.

Military analysts suggest this localized Ukrainian success could provide Kyiv with improved leverage in any future negotiations, demonstrating the Ukrainian military’s continued capability to reclaim territory despite nearly three years of full-scale war and recent Russian advances in other sectors of the front.