Ukraine’s military has recaptured parts of the northeastern city of Kupiansk and claims to have encircled Russian forces stationed there, according to officials in Kyiv. Russia has not immediately commented on the assertion.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised the operation during a visit to the frontline area, saying recent battlefield successes are reinforcing Ukraine’s hand diplomatically. “Results on the front are extremely important because they translate into results in diplomacy,” he said, according to remarks shared in a video posted on social media.
Ukraine’s National Guard unit, the Khartiia Corps, said its forces liberated several districts in northern Kupiansk, cutting Russian supply routes and trapping several hundred Russian troops. The unit made the claims in a statement on Telegram.
Quoted by Ukrainska Pravda, Khartiia Corps commander Ihor Obolienskyi said Russian forces in the city had been completely isolated. “They did not realize for a long time what was happening. Now they know they are surrounded,” he said.
The developments come amid continued fighting along the eastern front, even as U.S.-backed diplomatic efforts toward peace continue. Moscow, however, has insisted it is advancing on all fronts and claims to have captured strategic eastern cities, including Kupiansk and Pokrovsk—claims Kyiv strongly denies.
Independent battlefield mapping by the DeepState project shows at least three villages north and west of Kupiansk under Ukrainian control, with northern parts of the city also marked as held by Ukrainian forces. The maps suggest Russian troops may be encircled in central areas of the city.
Military analysts note that Russian advances in November were among the fastest this year, with Moscow taking several small villages. On Thursday, Russia claimed it had captured the eastern city of Siversk, a claim Ukraine has rejected, saying fighting there is still ongoing.
