Kupiansk is a 'pain point': ISW reveals why Russia is bluffing about control
Illustrative photo: ISW explains why Russia is lying about capturing Kupiansk (Getty Images)
Russian authorities are trying to create an alternative picture of the fighting by systematically spreading false claims that Kupiansk has allegedly been captured, according to the analysts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
Kremlin's fake claims of 'control over the city'
According to ISW analysts, Russian military commanders continue to claim that Russian forces allegedly control all districts of Kupiansk and that attempts by Ukraine’s Defense Forces to retake the city have failed.
At the same time, there is extensive evidence that Ukrainian troops have liberated most of the city and surrounding areas.
Manipulation aimed at influencing peace talks
Analysts say the disinformation campaign is part of a broader Kremlin information strategy designed to influence the position of the US and its partners regarding potential peace negotiations.
By doing so, Russia is trying to impose a narrative of the supposed inevitability of its victory and pressure Ukraine and the West into accepting Russian demands under the threat of future offensives.
Why Kupiansk became a key focal point
The real situation on the battlefield in this area contradicts Kremlin claims of Russia’s military superiority and could undermine the propaganda narratives promoted by Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and his inner circle.
"Kupyansk has become a particular point of neuralgia for the Russian military command, likely due to the fear that the battlefield realities in the area will undermine the narratives about Russia’s military prowess that Putin and senior Russian military commanders have been trying to spread," the report says.
What is really happening in Kupiansk
This week, fighters from the Khartiia unit raised the Ukrainian flag over Kupiansk, which had been under intense Russian attacks for several months. Until recently, the city was considered nearly lost, but Ukraine’s Defense Forces now report that the occupiers have been almost completely pushed out.
According to intelligence data, the casualty ratio in the battles for Kupiansk stood at 1 to 27, with 27 Russian soldiers killed for every Ukrainian servicemember.
The Joint Forces Group has previously debunked Russian propaganda claims about the alleged capture of Kupiansk, noting that the full clearance of the city from remaining enemy groups could take several more weeks.
