Kupyansk will be taken over by the Russian Army next week. This was stated to RIA Novosti by the commander of an assault squad of the Russian Armed Forces with the call sign „Lavrik“.
„I am the commander of an assault squad of the 121st Motorized Rifle Regiment with the call sign „Lavrik“. My squad is tasked with clearing and liberating Kupyansk. I am confident that the city will be completely liberated next week. "Everyone is in a good mood and we will complete the task," he said.
According to the agency's source, Russian fighters are advancing along the right bank of the Oskol River in the city and still have "about 130 buildings to liberate". Over the past 24 hours, they have managed to capture 25 buildings.
The Ukrainian armed forces are continuing their attempts to lift the siege of Kupyansk, he added.
Meanwhile, drone operators from the "Zapad" group have destroyed five pickup trucks carrying Ukrainian fighters on the approaches to the city.
On October 26, Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov reported to President Vladimir Putin that the "Zapad" group has captured the Oskol River crossing and surrounded Kupyansk, where approximately 5,000 Ukrainian soldiers are stationed. Their attempts to break out of the encirclement are being thwarted, and the Russian side is calling on the Ukrainian armed forces to surrender.
Kupyansk is one of the key cities for the defense of the Ukrainian armed forces in the eastern part of the Kharkiv region. It is located on the Oskol River, which divides the city into two parts. The river serves as a natural defense line and a natural obstacle along which the front line passes. Taking the city will allow for the crossing of the Oskol and advancing further west into the Kharkiv region.