Ukrainian forces fully control Kupiansk despite Russian infiltration attempts
Khartiia says Ukrainian forces maintain full control over Kupiansk (photo: Getty Images)
Ukrainian forces currently maintain full control over Kupiansk in Kharkiv region, despite attempts by Russian units to infiltrate the city in small groups, the commander of the third company of Khartiia's first battalion with callsign Zanuda said.
Situation in Kupiansk
According to the serviceman, Russian units are trying to infiltrate the Kupiansk area in small groups, using dense vegetation for camouflage.
Such attempts are now being recorded much more frequently than at the beginning of operations in this area. However, most Russian troops are successfully detected and destroyed or captured by Ukrainian fighters.
Zanuda said that Ukrainian forces have already taken defensive positions, maintain control over the situation, and the overall situation remains stable.
The company commander also noted that Russia's claims about its troops allegedly controlling Kupiansk are not true.
According to him, the enemy periodically tries to infiltrate the city in small groups, but such attempts are mostly detected and eliminated.
"One or two infantrymen enter, and they are killed. After some time, others infiltrate due to weather conditions or through greenery. But this is not its territory," the serviceman emphasized.
Zanuda also noted that Ukrainian positions currently remain on the lines established after last year's counteroffensive actions, while the situation in this section of the front is under control despite infiltration attempts.
What tactics are the Russians using in Kupiansk?
According to the serviceman, infantry and first-person-view drones play the main role in the enemy's combat operations. Infantry reveals positions at the cost of their own lives, after which drones finish the job.
He also added that despite artillery and aviation activity from both sides, first-person-view drones and bomber drones remain the key means of destruction along the entire front line.
Currently, in the Kharkiv region, Russian forces mostly operate in small groups or even alone.
"One, two, three infantrymen move forward. In most cases, just one. He walks, and they tell him to get from point A to point B, saying he will be met at point B, although that is not true. So he keeps moving, and when our first-person-view drones begin striking, they do not reach our positions — they raise their hands and surrender," Zanuda said.
He explained that sometimes, due to enemy activity in different directions, some groups of troops manage to slip through unnoticed.
However, such soldiers cannot operate for long without proper supplies, including food and water, which are delivered to them by drones. It is precisely through such deliveries that enemy positions are quickly identified and destroyed.
Zanuda stressed that Russians currently have no chance of entering and capturing the city.
"There are many factors on our side. Very good units are stationed here, and there is the terrain — the river. A small bridgehead on this bank means nothing. It is difficult to use the equipment here. For now, I do not see any chances for them here," the company commander said.
Battles for Kupiansk
The Russian military command has been lying for the fifth consecutive month about battlefield successes, claiming that Russian troops are advancing west of Kupiansk in the Kharkiv region. However, this does not correspond to reality.
At the beginning of May, the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that the situation in the Kupiansk direction had worsened — Russian troops intensified assault attempts and continued pressuring Ukrainian positions.
Later, it was reported that Russians continue trying to advance on Kupiansk from the northern side. However, their actions are currently producing fewer results than the Russian forces themselves had promised.
