“Loud Kupyansk. The NV journalist visited the area of the front, the “encirclement” of which was announced by Putin personally November 28, 18:47 Share: Street in Kivsharivka, left bank of the Oskil River (Photo: Serhii Okunev / NV) Author: Serhii Okunev Back in the summer of 2024, a tense situation began to develop around the city of Kupyansk in the Kharkiv region. On November 7, the dictator of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, even announced that the occupiers immediately surrounded 15”, — write on: ua.news
Street in Kivsharivka, left bank of the Oskil River (Photo: Serhii Okunev / NV)
Already in the summer of 2024, a tense situation began to develop around the city of Kupyansk in the Kharkiv region. On November 7, the dictator of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, even announced that the occupiers immediately surrounded 15,000 soldiers of the Armed Forces there. On November 13, it became known that the enemy managed to make a relatively deep breakthrough and enter the city. NV journalist Serhii Okunev visited Kupyansk, in particular the left bank of Oskol, and even visited the same “surrounded” area, learning about the real state of affairs and witnessing the evacuation of local civilians.
“Crazy success” lasting six months. Where and how the enemy is actually advancing
The first alarming reports about the Russians’ intensification in the east of Kharkiv Oblast began to appear at the beginning of the summer. At first, the enemy tried a quick breakthrough to the south of Kupyansk. This settlement has become one of the symbols of the 2022 Kharkiv counteroffensive and plays an important logistical role. His loss could become very painful for the entire eastern flank of the defense of Kharkiv Oblast.
However, facing the resistance of one of the most experienced and trained brigades in the Ukrainian army, the Third Assault Brigade, the occupiers stopped their attempts to quickly break through to the village of Borov and switched to tactics “probing” for weak points. In the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, the efforts of the Russians were assessed as a failure.
During the summer, there were almost no changes in this direction, and in some areas the Defense Forces even managed to switch to local counterattacks. But at the beginning of the autumn of 2024, the enemy managed to wedge himself in the section of the left bank of the Oskil River, in the area of the village of Kruglyakivka. The breakthrough was not easy and quick, the enemy covered a distance of 8-10 km with heavy losses for about three months. However, he was able to cut the route along the left bank of Oskol, which connects, in particular, Borova and Kupyansk. Now this route is largely controlled by the occupiers.
Against the background of this extremely limited promotion, a statement was issued by the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, who announced – not too much and not too little! — about the encirclement of Ukrainian troops in two sections of the Kupyansk direction. 15,000 military personnel allegedly found themselves in the “cauldron”, which could become the largest encirclement during the entire time of a full-scale invasion, surpassing the blockade of the Mariupol garrison.
A journey into the unknown. What is actually happening on the left bank of the Kupyan community
Several weeks have passed since the day when the Russian dictator announced that “great victory”. Then Putin hinted that the Ukrainian defenders were trying to escape from the left bank, but were being destroyed. Ironically, almost immediately after this statement, the advance of the enemy near Kruglyakivka slowed down significantly.
Servicemen of the 43rd Separate Mechanized Brigade accompanying the NV journalist to the same “the surrounded area”, the words of Putin and Russian propagandists were lively discussed.
“I have already read in the telegram channels that they seem to control the entire left bank of Kupyansk itself. That is, this road, where we are going now, is we already with you in the occupied territories? See the roadblock? You have to ask the guys, maybe the Russians have already installed theirs,” the driver laughs, mocking the enemy.
In a few days, the NV journalist visited the left bank of the city of Kupyansk, the village of Kupyansk-Vuzlovy, and the settlements of Kivsharivka and Novoosynove, which, according to Russian reports, are blocked from all sides.
“And you were not afraid to go here? Are you aware of what we are surrounded by?” – the commander of the grenade launcher unit of the 43rd OMBr with the callsign Polyak asks the correspondent with a smile.
A grenade launcher is part of an infantry unit placed directly on the first line of defense. According to the plan, the Pole and his subordinates were supposed to stop enemy armored vehicles with the help of a Soviet SG-9 anti-tank grenade launcher. However, recently the enemy in his area almost does not use equipment, so it is necessary to hit fortifications occupied by enemy infantry with grenade launchers.
“This is generally their method. Specifically, they are not coming at us here in large columns of armored vehicles, as they used to do, or as it might happen in other directions. They went in the direction of Kruglyakivka recently, but not towards us. Here they grope, look for weak areas and advance in small infantry groups. Literally an advance of 30 meters, sometimes 50. Having overcome them, they begin to gain a foothold in these defeated zones. Then forward again. In the area that my unit is responsible for, there is essentially no progress at all. But with open data, everyone can see where they have certain movements, everyone knows,” Polyak explains the state of affairs.
However, it happened that the enemy also involved equipment, including massively. The company commander of the battalion, Achilles Anton, call sign Banderas, said that on September 26, the occupiers launched an assault involving 50 pieces of equipment, which became one of the most powerful attacks in the Kupyan direction in recent times. He mentioned that FPV drones alone destroyed 40 pieces of equipment near the village of Kruglyakivka.
The chief sergeant of the company with the call sign Barmen shares his view of the situation. The man had experience of participating in the anti-terrorist operation since 2016, and since the full-scale invasion, he not only fights, but also trains new recruits.
“On the one hand, it should not be assumed that all their reports of success in this direction are lies. No. If they are not really advancing anywhere, then why are we suffering losses, why are we losing control over populated areas? Yes, slowly, but… However, of course, their claims about the environment are simply ridiculous. You yourself have now arrived here, let’s say, relative to you flax I don’t know, maybe that’s how they report to Putin. We need to provide him with the Internet, give him DeepState. Or maybe it’s not necessary, let him think that they have already defeated everyone and captured everything,” the Barman thinks.
“You can laugh, but you don’t have to wait for a lie to become reality.” What are the problems in the defense of Kupyan region
The bartender supports the jokes of the fellows about the crazy statements of the enemy, but calls for sober assessments. According to him, the Defense Forces really have problems, in particular, in the Kupyan direction. Among the main ones, the man unhesitatingly mentions the lack of personnel and the quality of the primary training of the mobilized.
“You can laugh at the statements of the occupiers, but you don’t have to wait until the lies become reality. We are critically short of people. And those who come are 40-50 years old. The state of health is age-appropriate. In addition, the training in educational centers is terrible. I will allow myself to say that, in fact, they do not teach anything there. Now the duration of basic military training has been increased, but if the quality is the same, what difference does it make if you do stupid things for 30 days, or 40 days, or 50 days?” says Master Sergeant.
At the same time, he assures that his team is responsible for the training of recruits, even if they came without the necessary “base” after the training center. Infantrymen are not immediately sent into battle, but are given a few more weeks to train in conditions close to combat. Then they give tasks that allow gradually “to be included” in the performance of duties.
“I even lost count of how many times I heard from soldiers that in two or three sessions with our instructors or the chief sergeant of the company, they gained more practical skills than in a month of BZVP,” says Barmen.
He also raises a painful issue — the preparation of fortifications. According to him, high-quality fortifications are still the responsibility of the military themselves, who often build them in the face of an enemy attack or intense shelling.
“It’s a snowball, you know? We lack people on the front line. But it is necessary to build fortifications in case of breakthroughs, because it is necessary to understand that behind the back there is a place to retreat in the event of something. If you remove people, even partially, from the first line to prepare the rear, then the problems begin, in fact, where you remove them from. And if you don’t shoot, then situations arise when the enemy just needs to break through the first line of fortifications, and then it is very difficult to meet them. That’s why people are needed. And in the first line, and in the second, and in the third. And the participation of the state in the construction of fortifications of a deeper order is needed. Wherever possible, use machinery, tractors, excavators, concrete mixers.”
“Why should I and my colleagues risk our lives?” How the police evacuate civilians and fight with collaborators
On October 15, 2024, the Defense Council of the Kharkiv region adopted a decision on the mandatory evacuation of four communities – Kupyansk, including the city of Kupyansk, Kindrashivsk, Kurylivsk and Petropavlivsk. This is connected both with the activation of the enemy and its advancement, and with the deterioration of living conditions.
While the servicemen are stopping the advance of the enemy, the police and emergency services are taking local residents out of dangerous areas. The NV journalist spent the day with the police and learned about the state of affairs in the community.
“As of now, the left bank is a very difficult area, where there are almost no normal conditions for life. Shelling is a problem, besides there is no electricity, water and communication in some settlements. In the event of an injury or other problem, a person cannot even promptly ask for help, – the head of the prevention sector of the Kupyan district police department, Konstantin Domryn, comments on the situation. — In Kupyansk itself, even on the right bank, where the city center is, the situation is also difficult. Constant shelling, anti-aircraft guns. Recently there was a blow to the market. People there simply sold products, clothes, necessary household items. The enemy dropped a powerful bomb there. She flies in a matter of minutes. A person died, many were injured.”
This information is confirmed by the head of the city military administration Andriy Besedin. On November 16, he reported that in less than two months Russia had hit the center of Kupyansk with five one and a half ton guided aerial bombs. Other types of weapons are also used.
Police Major Domryn is one of those directly involved in the evacuation.
“In October, we had a peak of evacuations. Volunteers, and the State Emergency Service, and us, and other organizations also left. Large armored cars were brought in to be able to pick up more people. But as of now, there are already fewer applications, and the enemy has advanced a little, and an armored car is their primary goal. That’s why sometimes you have to leave by less visible means of transport,” he tells the NV journalist with whom he went on a trip to the danger zone.
This time, the police had to evacuate two people — a man from Kivsharivka and a woman from Novoosynovo. According to the DeepState map, these settlements are located 5 km from the zone controlled by the enemy. NV sources in the Defense Forces say that the enemy regularly tries to send sabotage and reconnaissance teams in this area.
When our car was approaching Novoosynovo, several uniformed figures appeared from somewhere on the road in the middle of the mutilated village. Like, their…
— And how likely is it that the occupiers can attack us here? asked the journalist.
“Let me not comment on this so as not to scare you once again,” replied Major Domryn.
Despite the tense situation, the evacuation from Novoosynovo was successful. Already on the way to the safe zone, the woman, who was evacuated by the police, admitted that she had been taken out of the village before, but she had returned a few weeks ago.
“I thought it was quieter than it was in October. I have a house there, maybe I would be able to heat it in winter,” she says and adds that she quickly realized that the situation in the village has only worsened.
One of the police officers, who had previously been extremely restrained and focused on driving, emotionally comments on what he heard: “You sit until the enemy is at your door, and then you beg for help. Then we risk our lives, although earlier there were dozens of opportunities to leave. Why should my fellow soldiers be fighting their way through war zones when you refused to evacuate? But let it, here we have taken you. They took it out. Despite the ban, you returned. That is, they somehow bypassed the roadblocks, right? And now you are asking again, help. So, in a week or two I will pick you up again in?”
The woman promises that this time she will not return without the permission of the local authorities. Police officers clarify that she has the opportunity to apply for free resettlement and humanitarian aid. The evacuee says that she has the opportunity to live in Kharkiv.
“The danger for those who leave for evacuation is constant. Shelling, attempts to hit cars with evacuees is a common thing. Recently, there were several strikes by KABs during the evacuation from Kivsharivka. But there were no situations where police officers or civilians were injured or worse during the evacuation. After all, we already have experience, and the staff is trained,” says the prevention sector of the Kupyansk police.
There is a widespread opinion in social networks that those who remain in dangerous zones are waiting for Russia, or, worse, are collecting information about the Armed Forces and cooperating with the occupiers.
Major Domryn reminds of part 1 of Art. 111−1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — “Collaborative activity.”
But this article has a two-year statute of limitations, says the policeman. Thus, in September 2024, the time for bringing to justice those who committed similar crimes during the occupation of Kupyansk expired — the city and community were released in September 2022.
“There are new materials, of course. There are people who were not during the occupation, but now were involved in collecting and transmitting information to the enemy, for example. These are isolated cases of cooperation. There is no such thing as finding 10 people every day. In addition to catching such characters, we also take preventive measures to make it difficult to conduct such agent work, even if there are willing ones. There may be different qualifications, different articles. For example, the most serious charge, treason, has no statute of limitations. Both we and the Security Service of Ukraine work here,” Konstantin Domryn clarifies.
Weakness and courage. How the Russians heroically broke through to Kupyansk and what came of it
Perhaps, the most embarrassing and unexpected message from Kupyansk arrived on November 13. It became known that the Russians broke through to the left-bank part of the city, overcoming about 9 kilometers in one rush. The DeepState project, which first reported the breach, said the enemy carried it out “in parade mode”.
“The enemy’s assault groups attacked the positions of the Ukrainian defenders in four waves. In total, the enemy used about 15 units of equipment. In particular, tanks, armored combat vehicles and the UR-77 demining installation,” the official statement of the General Staff stated.
DeepState reported that only three units of enemy armored vehicles and a tank of the occupiers reached the city. Other equipment was destroyed on the approaches. This information is confirmed by a video from the drones of the Armed Forces, which is also publicly available.
The General Staff also clarified that part of the Russian soldiers were dressed in the uniform of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, presumably for camouflage. This is a violation of the customs and rules of warfare and can be interpreted as a war crime.
Russian propaganda met the operation with a great wave of victorious reports, positioning it as an incredible success. Moscow managed to state many times that the group was able to gain a foothold on the left bank of the Kupyansk and is successfully advancing further.
NV sources in the Defense Forces have a completely different assessment of this direction “successes” of the occupiers. Most of the participants of the breakthrough were destroyed in the first hours on the outskirts of Kupyansk, but a few occupiers tried to hide in the city. Lacking communications, reinforcements, ammunition, and having lost combat capability, the group decided to surrender. Footage of the arrest of the occupiers appeared. Officially, the General Staff did not comment on this video, but NV’s interlocutors in the Defense Forces confirmed that it was indeed a footage of a clearing operation.
“One of the prisoners sincerely shouted during the detention: “What for me? I didn’t do anything,” one of the participants in the operation to capture the prisoners, whose data the editors do not disclose for security reasons, shared with the NV journalist.
Almost two weeks have passed since those events. The enemy failed to gain a foothold in Kupyansk. At the same time, the Defense Forces replenished the exchange fund. On November 24, the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Anatolii Barhylevych, stated on the air of a telethon that the Ukrainian military repulsed all attacks on Kupyansk and that there is currently no threat to the city.
What to expect in the Kupyan direction
Almost all the fighters of the Defense Forces, with whom it was possible to communicate in Kupyansk and its surroundings, expect the onset of difficult times. First of all, they note the enemy’s ability to advance with such losses that the Ukrainian army could never afford.
On November 24, there was a report that the occupiers in boats landed on the right bank of the Oskil River, south of Novomlynsk. There have been no changes in this area for almost two years. DeepState clarifies that it is not yet known whether the Russians will be able to gain a foothold and establish a supply through the river.
On November 18, in an interview with Radio NV, the commander of the Achilles unmanned aerial systems battalion of the 92nd OShBr, Yury Fedorenko, expressed the opinion that by 2025 the enemy will not realize his intentions in the Kupyansk direction. “The forces and means used by the enemy to achieve results on the battlefield and the tactical successes he had in the previous period are disproportionate,” he noted.
On November 19, Kupyansk was visited by President Volodymyr Zelenskyi. He held a meeting on implementing the needs of the brigades in this area and increasing their capabilities with regard to drones and EW.