Frontline Kupyansk Visit by Zelenskyy Highlights Military and Diplomatic Success

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the frontline city of Kupyansk after Ukrainian forces regained control of parts of the northeastern city and encircled Russian units.

The Gaze reports on it, referring to Reuters.

"Today, I am in the Kupyansk sector, with our warriors who are getting the job done for Ukraine here," notified the President.

According to Ukrainian military sources, several districts of Kupyansk have been liberated, and Russian supply routes have been cut off. Hundreds of Russian troops are now encircled, as confirmed by the Ukrainian mapping project Deep State, which shows villages north and west of the city under Ukrainian control and Russian forces surrounded in the city center.

The operation involved multiple units, including the 13th Operational Brigade, 475th Assault Regiment "Code 9.2," and 92nd Assault and 144th Mechanized Brigades, which cleared surrounding villages and forests, cutting off Russian supply routes. Ukrainian commanders reported that over 1,000 Russian soldiers have been killed, 291 wounded, and 13 taken prisoner since the start of operations in September, with around 200 enemy troops remaining in the city.

The tactical group "Kupyansk" continues urban operations, while Russian forces attempt to reinforce and break through Ukrainian lines, reportedly including foreign fighters. Ukrainian units have gained fire control over key access points, with Russian resupply relying solely on drones, complicated by up to 500 civilians still in the city used as human shields.

Amid these developments, Moscow continues to claim control over Kup’iansk and other strategically important cities in the east, but Kyiv denies these claims, asserting that fighting continues and Ukrainian forces maintain key positions. Analysts note that Russian advances in November reached the highest pace this year, but Ukrainian defenses ensure the sustained retention of critical areas.

Zelenskyy emphasized that success on the frontline strengthens Ukraine’s position in diplomatic efforts and is crucial for negotiations and international support. He stressed that battlefield results directly impact Ukraine’s ability to defend its interests on the global stage. 

“Today, achieving results on the frontline is crucial so that Ukraine can achieve results in diplomacy. This is exactly how it works: all our strong positions within the country translate into strong positions in the negotiations to end the war,” Zelenskyy said in a video message.

In particular, he recalled earlier the situation with Pokrovsk, when the Russians claimed to have captured and surrounded them.

"It's like with Pokrovsk, which was supposed to be captured by the Russians back in the summer, or what Putin said recently, that ‘they have surrounded Kupyansk’. They simply ‘surrounded Kupyansk’ – and we receive a signal from our partners to confirm this. I am honestly surprised by such questions," the Head of State noted.

Kupyansk is a strategic city in northeastern Ukraine in the Kharkiv region that has repeatedly been the scene of heavy fighting since the start of Russia's large-scale invasion in 2022. The city is logistically important due to its transport routes and railway infrastructure, making it a key target for both sides of the conflict. 

In 2022, Kupyansk was initially captured by Russian troops, but in September of the same year, Ukrainian forces regained control of the city. After that, it remained on the front line of the fighting, where Russian troops made several attempts to break through Ukrainian defenses and hold their positions.

However, at the end of 2024, amid Russia's offensive efforts in the Donetsk region, Russian troops began attacking in the east of the Kharkiv region, particularly in the direction of Kupyansk.

As The Gaze reported earlier, Andrii Hnatov, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine warns that Russia is entering its most aggressive phase of the war yet – and says the coming months will test the country like never before. 

Read also on The Gaze: Russia’s Costly Assault on Pokrovsk Brings No Strategic Gain