Ukraine stuns Russia after storming and capturing key city on eastern front

A Russian munitions dump is hit in Kupyansk (Image: Ukraine Army)

Ukraine's army has all but liberated Kupyansk from Russian troops, driving them to the northeastern outskirts of the city after days of heavy fighting. The recapture of the eastern city will come as a humiliating blow to Vladimir Putin and his army high command.

His generals had boasted that they had taken full control of the city in November, when the Russian President visited the military command post of his army's West Group. At the time he was informed by the Russian army's Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov that "units of the 'West' grouping have liberated the city of Kupyansk and are continuing to destroy Ukrainian armed forces units surrounded on the left bank of the Oskol River." However, Ukraine's military vehemently denied the claims and launched a major counteroffensive in early December, encircling the city and cutting off Russian units from the main body of their army.

Zelensky posed by the entrance to the city. (Image: X social media)

Zelensky's troops have since been methodically mopping up remnants of the Russians trapped within the city.

Latest reports suggest that Kyiv's forces have now regained control of most of Kupyansk, a vital logistics centre and gateway to northeastern Ukraine.

The pro-Kremlin war blogger Rybar - who is reported to have close ties to Russia's Ministry of Defence - said the situation had become "worse than critical."

A significant part of the bridgehead on the western bank of the Oskil River has been lost, including the villages of Kindrashivka, Radkivka and Moskovka. The blogger blamed the defeat on the deliberate feeding of false information to Russia's political and military leadership.

"Systematic exaggeration of successes and transmission of incorrect information upwards have already led to the voicing of false information at the highest level," Rybar noted.

"Due to incorrect reports on the situation upwards, reserves that were 'not needed' for the capture and clearing of Kupyansk were transferred to other areas."

Another Russian military blogger noted that "Kupyansk is f***ed", while Andriy Kovalenko, head of Ukraine's Centre for Countering Disinformation simply said: "Kupyansk. The Russians are dead."

Meanwhile, Ukraine's President Zelensky said his country was prepared to pull back its troops from Donetsk, provided Russia does the same, to allow the creation of a demilitarised economic zone.

US negotiators had suggested creating an economic zone in Donetsk as a way to resolve the thorny issue of territorial concessions, which has proved to be a major stumbling block in peace talks.

Zelensky explained that if Ukraine was prepared to pull its heavy forces back by five, 10 or 40km in the 25% of Donetsk it still held, then Russia would have to do the same "accordingly by five, 10, or 40km".

Ukraine has already indicated that it is willing to abandon its long-held ambition for NATO membership in exchange for US-European security guarantees that mirror the military alliance's Article 5 provision.

The Ukrainian President told reporters that the ball was now firmly back in Russia's court and any more procrastination by the Kremlin could have serious consequences for Putin.

"[Moscow] cannot tell President Trump: ‘Look, we are against a peaceful settlement. That is, if they try to obstruct everything, then President Trump would have to arm us heavily, while imposing all possible sanctions against them," he said.

“In the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, the line of troop deployment as of the date of this agreement is de facto recognised as the line of contact.

“A working group will convene to determine the redeployment of forces necessary to end the conflict, as well as to define the parameters of potential future special economic zones."