The Ukrainian Charter Brigade has liberated a number of settlements north of Kupyansk in the Kharkiv region, cutting off approximately 200 Russian soldiers from the rear. This was reported by the Swiss newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky personally visited the front in the area — one of the riskiest visits since the beginning of the war — and recorded a video message in front of the destroyed Kupyansk sign. He thanked the fighters and emphasized that successes on the front are important for achieving diplomatic victories.
The counteroffensive by Ukrainian forces in the Kupyansk direction coincided with peace talks and refutes Russia’s claims and US President Donald Trump’s statements about Ukraine’s alleged defeat and the need for concessions. At the same time, Ukraine is maintaining its defenses in Pokrovsk and Mirnograd in the Donetsk region, despite the threat of encirclement, in order to prevent new successes by Russian troops during the negotiations.
For Moscow, the situation is a significant defeat: the capture of Kupyansk — an important railway junction with a pre-war population of about 25 thousand people — has been a priority since the summer.
On November 20, the Russian command reported to Putin about “full control” over the city, and General Sergei Kuzovlev was awarded the title of “Hero of Russia.” Ukraine has always denied these claims, and even Russian military bloggers now admit that the reports were propaganda in nature.
Despite the success near Kupyansk, the situation on the front remains difficult: Russian troops are advancing in the Donetsk region, and Siversk is almost completely under their control. The capture of this city opens the way to Sloviansk, the last major Ukrainian stronghold in Donbas.
Earlier, the Ukrainian military conducted a successful counterattack in Kupyansk and near neighboring settlements, but the operation to completely liberate the city from the occupiers is still ongoing. It is complicated by the presence of civilians, whom Russian troops use as a “human shield”.
