Russian forces claim capture of key city in Ukraine’s Kharkov region

Russian forces have swept into the strategic city of Kupyansk in Ukraine’s Kharkov region, reclaiming a battleground long contested and steeped in symbolic weight.

The announcement came from Valery Gerasimov, chief of the general staff of the Russian Armed Forces, who briefed President Vladimir Putin on Thursday that units of the Zapad (West) group had secured the city and were pressing ahead with operations against Ukrainian troops trapped along the left bank of the Oskol River.

Gerasimov painted a picture of steady advances across the eastern front, saying Russian troops were also making deep inroads into Krasnoarmeysk, with more than three-quarters of the city now under Moscow’s control.

The gains follow weeks of pressure that have pushed Ukrainian forces onto the defensive, reversing Kyiv’s earlier breakthroughs — most notably its recapture of Kupyansk in September 2022 after the city first fell on the opening day of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

According to Russian reports, 13 villages have fallen since early November—six in Dnipropetrovsk and seven in Zaporizhzhia — signaling a renewed push across multiple axes. Kupyansk, once a bustling logistics hub of 55,000 people, is prized for its railway links and defensive importance, making its loss a significant setback for Ukraine.

The city, which served as Russia’s administrative center in the region during its previous occupation, now once again finds itself at the crossroads of conflict — its recapture marking both a tactical victory for Moscow and a stark reminder of how fluid, and unforgiving, the war’s front lines remain.

With IANS inputs