Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin:
[ColonelCassad] Kupyansk. December 29, 2025.
Heavy fighting continues in Kupyansk itself and in the surrounding area. The enemy hasn't yet exhausted itself and continues its attacks in hopes of pushing Russian troops out of Kupyansk. Syrsky needs at least a small tactical victory to offset the disastrous results of the year for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Currently, part of the city is under Russian control, part under Ukrainian control, and part is in the gray zone. Objective monitoring by the Russian Ministry of Defense clearly shows the presence of Russian troops in the city, as well as strikes on enemy equipment and assault groups in Kupyansk.
It is clear that the "West" command group is making serious efforts to stabilize the situation in the city. The main objective now is to stabilize the LCS and transition the fighting to a positional phase. Tying down enemy reserves in the fighting near Kupyansk undoubtedly facilitates the advance of our forces in other directions, so prolonging the fighting in Kupyansk indefinitely will be to our operational advantage.
At some point, Syrsky and Co. will face a dilemma: go on the defensive and redeploy their remaining reserves to other areas where an operational crisis is looming, or continue the gamble at any cost, hoping to capture Kupyansk while positions in other areas are being abandoned.
As negotiations on a diplomatic settlement to the war in Ukraine indicate, there is a possibility that the front line in the Kharkiv region will freeze along the LBS. Accordingly, by that time (if it occurs), we must control Kupyansk to ensure it remains ours.
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Russian Armed Forces continue to defeat the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Kupyansk region, Gerasimov reported to Putin.
The Russian Armed Forces continue to defeat the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) near Kupyansk. The enemy-controlled territory has been reduced by more than half, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov reported to President Vladimir Putin on Monday, December 29, during a meeting on the situation in the Northern Military District.
"Units of the Zapad group continue to rout the enemy east of Kupyansk, on the left bank of the Oskol River. The territory controlled by the encircled Ukrainian Armed Forces group has been reduced by more than half," Gerasimov said.
The "West" military group is actively advancing in the DPR's Krasny Liman, the Chief of the General Staff added.
On November 20, Gerasimov reported to Putin on the liberation of Kupyansk in Ukraine's Kharkiv Oblast. On November 21, the Russian Ministry of Defense released a drone-filmed video from the city. The footage shows the battle for Kupyansk, the destruction of enemy equipment and positions, and offensive actions by Russian forces in various areas.
Russian forces are repelling attacks by Ukrainian forces attempting to enter Kupyansk. On December 29, the Ukrainian Armed Forces lost 26 soldiers and 17 pieces of equipment while attempting to break through to the city near the villages of Palamarevka and Blagodatovka. Furthermore, Russian forces destroyed enemy personnel and equipment near Kupyansk-Uzlovoye, Podolovoye, and Glushkovka.
One of the captured Ukrainian soldiers, Serhiy Husar, said that command sent him and other soldiers to Kupyansk to hang and photograph a Ukrainian flag in Russian-controlled territory. The commanders hoped to obtain "evidence" of their presence in the town. However, Russian soldiers controlling the area opened fire on the Ukrainian soldiers. One of them was killed, after which the others laid down their arms and surrendered.