Kupiansk in ruins: Aerial photos show scale of Russian destruction
Photo: Kupiansk in Kharkiv region, December 2025 (t.me/landforcesofukraine)
Ukraine’s Ground Forces have shown what Kupiansk in the Kharkiv region looks like today from above. The Russian army has turned the city into ruins. The photos were released by the 116th Separate Mechanized Brigade.
"These images show what was once a cozy and peaceful Kupiansk, which Russia has turned into ruins and total devastation. It is not hard to see what this city was like before the occupier arrived," the statement said.
The Ground Forces added that the 116th Separate Mechanized Brigade is one of the units that continues to defend the city with honor.
"Russia destroys, while we defend what is ours — our land, our people, and our future," the military said.
The photos show destroyed apartment buildings following strikes on the city and intense fighting.
Situation in Kupiansk
On December 12, it became known that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the Kupiansk direction in the Kharkiv region amid an active phase of fighting in the city.
The visit came after Ukraine’s Defense Forces reported a successful counterattack on the outskirts of Kupiansk, which resulted in Russian units being blocked inside the city.
According to Ukrainian troops, the surrounded enemy troops are putting up strong resistance, but the operation to eliminate them is ongoing.
It was also recently reported that Ukrainian forces had pushed the enemy back from Kupiansk and taken control of nearly 90% of the city.
At the same time, Russian propaganda continues to spread claims of control over Kupiansk. These claims were officially denied on December 29 by the Joint Forces Group.
In addition, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi has outlined the plans of the Ukrainian army for Kupiansk after the bridgehead is cleared.
