Zelenskyy records video from forward command post in Kupiansk

Zelenskyy said he visited the forward command post of the 14th Separate Mechanized Brigade named after Prince Roman the Great in Kupiansk, accompanied by Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi.

"I met with the warriors, congratulated them on Land Forces Day, and honored them with state awards – the Orders of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, I and III classes, and the Orders for Courage, I–III classes," the President wrote.

He also listened to reports from the military on the situation in the brigade’s defense sector and on coordination with neighboring units. Zelenskyy thanked the troops for their service.

"I highly value your dedication to Ukraine, to our state. Without you, we would have simply lost it," he added.

On December 12, the command of the 2nd Corps of the National Guard Khartiia reported a successful counterattack by Ukrainian forces near Kupiansk. More than 200 Russian soldiers were blocked in the town, which has now been largely cleared. During the counteroffensive, Russian forces suffered over 1,000 fatalities.

Among other achievements, Ukrainian defenders cleared Russian soldiers from the Yuvileinyi residential area in Kupiansk, a location of strategic importance for the defense of the town.

Against this backdrop, Zelenskyy visited the Kupiansk direction on December 12. He congratulated Ukrainian troops participating in the liberation of the town and thanked each unit for their results on the front.

The President also recorded a video directly from Kupiansk, despite ongoing fighting in the town. According to OSINT sources, Zelenskyy filmed his message from just over a kilometer away from the positions of the surrounded Russian forces.