Russia ramps up pressure after Kupiansk defeat — but it may already be too late

2025-12-26 15:13 5 min

Russian troops are struggling to regroup east of Kupiansk after their failed offensive, according to a Ukrainian military spokesman. Kyiv's forces continue clearing the city, which is now nearly fully under their control.

The city of Kupiansk in eastern Kharkiv Oblast is a major railway and highway hub. Russian forces have attempted to reoccupy it since Ukrainian troops drove them out in 2022, months after Russia’s full-scale invasion began. In recent months, Russian forces have gradually approached the city from the north, with some units entering Kupiansk and capturing several neighborhoods. Ukrainian troops have since cut off these forces, encircling them and denying access to ground supply routes and reinforcements. Russia tries to regain momentum after failed Kupiansk assault

Russian forces are trying to apply new pressure near Kupiansk to compensate for their earlier defeat in the area, said Viktor Trehubov, spokesman for Ukraine’s Joint Forces Grouping. He stated this on Ukrainian television, RBC-Ukraine reports.

"There is pressure in the Kupiansk direction, and there are attempts to somehow restore and compensate for the situation they drove themselves into near Kupiansk," said Trehubov.

According to him, the current pressure focuses on the left bank of the Oskil River, where Russian troops are regrouping after their failed assault on the city itself. Meanwhile, Ukrainian troops continue operations inside Kupiansk, clearing out the last remaining Russian soldiers.

He emphasized that the Russian forces lacked proper planning from the start and rushed their offensive to match a symbolic date, which ultimately contributed to its collapse.

SItuation in Kupiansk city as of 24 December 2025. Map: ISW Kupiansk operation

According to Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi, Ukrainian forces recently pushed Russian occupiers back from the city. At that point, Kyiv’s military had regained control over approximately 90% of Kupiansk.

On 22 December, Trehubov said that over 100 Russian soldiers were still present in the city, based on intercepted enemy radio traffic. By 25 December, however, the number had dropped to about 50, with those remaining cut off from logistics and reportedly surrendering to Ukrainian troops.

Despite the losses, Russian President Vladimir Putin has earlier denied Ukraine’s advances, dismissing last weekthat Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s video from Kupiansk as “fake” and insisted the city was still under Russian control.