New deadline: Russia aims to once again 'capture' Kupiansk by February
Illustrative photo: Kupiansk remains under the control of the Defense Forces (Getty Images)
Russian forces have been assigned the objective of once again "capturing" the city of Kupiansk in the Kharkiv region. The new deadline: by February 2026, states Viktor Trehubov, Head of the Communications Department of the Joint Forces Group.
When asked whether Russia has a plan to once again "capture" the Ukrainian city, he replied, "Yes, by February."
According to him, the Russian forces are trying to break into the city but have been unsuccessful.
"North of Kupiansk, they are unable to break through; infiltration attempts are failing," he said in a comment.
He added that in the left-bank area, there is still intense pressure from Russian forces. They have sent infiltration groups directly into the city, but they simply do not get through.
Trehubov also noted that Russian soldiers remain in the city, with radio intercepts indicating about 30 military servicemen, who are completely surrounded.
According to this evening’s data from the General Staff of Ukraine, on the Kupiansk direction, the enemy has attempted to advance three times since the start of the day in the areas of Stepova Novoselivka, Pershotravneve, and toward Petropavlivka.
Second 'liberation' of Kupiansk
Russia has repeatedly reported the occupation of the city, even as Ukrainian Defense Forces confirmed their control over Kupiansk.
According to Trehubov, Russian troops are unable to reach the city itself. Despite observed troop buildups and attempts to advance, these efforts have been unsuccessful.
Moreover, already at the beginning of December, the situation in Kupiansk was indeed difficult, but the Ukrainian Defense Forces carried out a successful counterattack, blocking at least 200 Russian soldiers and liberating the Yuvileynyi residential area. During the operation, which had been prepared since autumn, the Russians lost over a thousand soldiers, and their reinforcement routes to the city were cut off.
At the time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russian General Sergey Kuzovlev, who had reported to Vladimir Putin about the "complete capture" of Kupiansk in the Kharkiv region, had disappeared. This occurred after Ukrainian forces launched a counterattack in the city.
However, he has recently reappeared, setting new "deadlines" for capturing the city.
Earlier, RBC-Ukraine reported that Russian forces had increased pressure in the Kupiansk district, but their attempts to penetrate directly into the city ended in failure.
It was also reported that Russian troops intensified airstrikes in the Kupiansk and Lyman directions, attempting to push Ukrainian forces out of the left-bank areas.
