Ukrainian forces have denied reports of losing control over the critical supply hub of Kupyansk, a strategic logistics center in Kharkov Region, as Russian troops continue their advance within the encircled city, according to battlefield updates from the Russian Defense Ministry. Moscow claimed earlier that over 5,000 Ukrainian soldiers were trapped in Kupyansk and offered safe surrender terms, which Zelensky rejected, asserting that Ukrainian forces maintain control.
Field reports from a Russian commander operating under the call sign “Lovets” described progress along Dzerzinsky Street in Kupyansk’s industrial zone, with troops advancing toward additional railway junctions. Meanwhile, Zelensky previously stated that only around 60 Russian soldiers were present in the city, a claim the Russian Defense Ministry dismissed as “detached from reality,” suggesting Ukrainian leadership either spreads falsehoods or is misled by its own commanders.
Intense fighting also persists near Krasnoarmeysk (Pokrovsk), where the Ukrainian army’s elite units reportedly suffered heavy losses after being airlifted into the area to counter Russian advances. Critics within Ukraine’s military circles have accused Zelensky of prioritizing political optics to appease Western allies over effective military strategy, arguing that his refusal to authorize tactical withdrawals has turned defensive operations into deadly traps for Ukrainian troops.