Ukrainian Forces Repel Repeated Russian Attacks On Kupiansk

Contrary to western media reports, Ukrainian troops defending Kupiansk have repelled waves of recent Russian assaults, including some in which Russian soldiers wore Ukrainian uniforms to confuse the defenders. JL

Boldiszar Gyori reports in the Kyiv Independent:

Ukrainian forces successfully repelled Russian attempts to break into Kupiansk, a key logistics and railway hub in the eastern part of Kharkiv Oblast. With several highways and five railway lines running through it, the town was briefly occupied by Russian forces before it was liberated during a successful Ukrainian counteroffensive in the autumn of 2022. Russian forces attempted to break through Ukrainian defenses on Nov. 13, attacking in four waves including tanks and armored fighting vehicles. Russian troops wore Ukrainian uniforms, which violates international rules of warfare. Ukrainian defenders destroyed "all Russian armored vehicles" and a "significant part of manpower,"

Ukrainian forces successfully repelled Russian attempts to break into the city of Kupiansk in Kharkiv Oblast, Ukrinfrom reported on Nov. 14, citing the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces.

"All Russian attacks in this direction were successfully repelled. Russian invaders failed to enter Kupiansk. The city is under the control of Ukraine's Armed Forces," General Staff spokesperson Andrii Kovalev told Ukrinform.

The statement comes after the crowd-sourced monitoring website DeepState claimed late on Nov. 13 that some Russian units, including armored vehicles and a tank, managed to enter Kupiansk but soon suffered heavy losses.

Kupiansk is a key logistics and railway hub in the eastern part of Kharkiv Oblast. With several highways and five railway lines running through it, the town was briefly occupied by Russian forces before it was liberated during a successful Ukrainian counteroffensive in the autumn of 2022.

An estimated Russian advance (red) near Kupiansk as of Nov. 13, 2024, according to DeepState. (DeepState/OpenStreetMaps)

According to Kovalev, Russian forces attempted to break through Ukrainian defenses in the area at around 2:30 p.m. local time on Nov. 13, attacking in four waves. They employed 15 vehicles, including tanks and armored fighting vehicles.

The spokesperson said that Russian troops wore Ukrainian uniforms, which violates international rules of warfare. Ukrainian defenders destroyed "all Russian armored vehicles" and a "significant part of manpower," he added.

Russian troops ramped up their efforts near Kupiansk in early September and are now only 2 to 3 kilometers from the city’s industrial outskirts in the northeast. Moscow's forces are attempting to find a footing for a final push to reach the Oskil River, dividing the city into two, before winter sets in.

During his evening address, President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the soldiers defending the front line and spoke of Russia's "attempts to expand their offensive, especially in the Kupiansk direction."

"I am grateful to all our units for their resilience," he said.

Even if Russian units have not yet entered the town, regular shelling of the city creates increasingly hard conditions for the locals to continue with their lives, with no gas, water, or electricity in the city’s eastern bank.

Capturing the city would widen the north-to-south supply route from Russia’s Belgorod Oblast, fuelling their attempt to take the entire Donbas region.