The Russian military has advanced to a position approximately seven kilometers from the city of Kupyansk. This reports the German news platform merkur.de with reference to Russian as well as Ukrainian military observers.
In response, local authorities have already ordered an evacuation of civilians around the city. Ukraine now wants to prevent further Russian advances. “Positions have been reinforced, certain methodological recommendations have been given and reserves have been moved,” merkur.de quotes Army Group East spokesman Serhiy Cherevatyi as saying, referring to Ukrainian news television. This, Cherevatyi promises, will prevent further advances by the enemy.
Kupyanks is a city in the east of the Ukrainian Kharkiv oblast with a population of about 30,000. Among other things, it is important as the second largest railroad junction after Kharkiv in the oblast. Kupyansk had been liberated from the Russian occupiers only last year as part of a successful Ukrainian counteroffensive.
This information comes from a party to the conflict and has not yet been independently verified and/or confirmed. For this reason, they are to be evaluated with reservations. Under certain circumstances, it can be advantageous for warring parties to make false statements about the course of the conflict in order to strengthen their own position or to weaken that of their opponents.
Image: Kremlin.ru, Vladimir Putin (2022-12-14), CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (image size modified)
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