Servicemen of the reconnaissance-strike group of the 4th Battalion of the Khartiia Brigade continue clearing the city of remaining Russian occupation forces.
“The fighters’ instant reaction to a direct hit by an FPV drone and close combat with the enemy is shown in a video filmed directly on the GoPro of Khartiia assault troops,” Pivnenko wrote in a caption to the video.
In its Jan. 17 report, the Institute for the Study of War said Ukraine’s Defense Forces had advanced toward Kupiansk in Kharkiv Oblast. According to ISW, Russia’s military command continues to publicly lie about the full capture of Kupiansk, “creating an alternative reality” on the battlefield to influence U.S. decisions regarding peace negotiations.
Analysts cited statements by Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov, to whom the commander of Russia’s Western Group of Forces, Sergei Kuzovlyov, reported advances near Kupiansk and “control over all districts of the city.” Russian military bloggers say occupation forces did not control Kupiansk “for a single day.”
On Jan. 3, Viktor Trehubov, head of communications for Ukraine’s Joint Forces Group, said the final phase of clearing Russian troops from Kupiansk was underway.
According to him, Russian forces were fully encircled and faced serious supply problems, including by air.
On Jan. 11, Trehubov said Russian invaders were losing control of Kupiansk in Kharkiv Oblast and would be unable to restore access to the city within the set timeframe — by February 2026.
On Jan. 12, the 2nd Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine’s Khartiia Brigade reported that Ukrainian troops had taken control of the Kupiansk city council building.