Russian forces are currently present in the northern part of Kupiansk and are attempting both to bypass the city and to break through to its center, according to Viktor Trehubov, Head of Communications for the Joint Forces Group, speaking on live television.
“As of now, the Russians are in the northern part of Kupiansk, trying, on one hand, to bypass it and, on the other, to advance directly toward the city center. As before, they are using small-group tactics, securing individual buildings, amassing forces, and then, once a ‘critical mass’ is reached, attempting to move further,” Trehubov said.
He noted that Russian troop supplies are being delivered by drones. For about six months, Moscow has claimed to have the city encircled.
“Even their own citizens began asking: ‘If the city is surrounded, how is Ukrainian defense still holding, and how are Ukrainians receiving supplies?’ After that, the Russians clarified that they did not mean a full encirclement, only the ability to target Ukrainian logistics with drones,” he explained.
Trehubov added that this is technically true, as the drones can reliably fly up to 40 kilometers from the front line. He specified that he was referring to FPV drones with fiber-optic links, though Ukrainian units are capable of striking Russian logistics at the same range.
Regarding how much the Russians “clings” to buildings, the spokesman emphasized that such fights cause destruction on both sides. As for deploying elite units, he said,
“In urban combat this is ineffective — the Russians rely primarily on numbers rather than quality.”
