How Ukraine Quietly Launched Kupiansk Operation as Putin Claimed "Victory"

On the afternoon of December 17, Russian forces once again released a video claiming that Kupiansk, a city in the Kharkiv region, was under the control of the Russian army. However, the OSINT community quickly determined the footage had been filmed in the town of Tavilzhanka, 20 kilometers from central Kupiansk. Moscow has been repeating such claims for weeks, using them as tools in its information war to influence Ukraine’s partners in Europe and the United States. The message is clear: Ukraine is failing in its defense, and major cities are falling one after another. Similar narratives have circulated for months regarding the city of Pokrovsk.

Zelenskyy visits Kupiansk

To prove Kupiansk remains under Ukrainian control, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy personally traveled to the city in early December and recorded a video message from there. The situation had an almost ironic twist: while Russian leader Vladimir Putin invited journalists to view “surrounded Kupiansk,” it was Zelenskyy who actually went there.

“It had a significant impact on both Americans and Europeans,” Zelenskyy said. “Everyone appreciated it highly: our soldiers holding Kupiansk, and the fact that I was there in person—it put an end to Putin’s lies about occupying new territories.”

Indeed, the situation in and around the city remains tense. Kupiansk is one of Russia’s key objectives in its winter campaign. But for several weeks, Ukraine conducted counterattacks under strict operational silence, driving Russian troops away from the city, striking crossings over the Oskil River, inflicting heavy losses, and encircling a Russian contingent several hundred strong.

Secret operation

The Ukrainian General Staff told UNITED24 Media that the operation was intentionally kept out of the public eye to maintain the element of surprise. As a result, Russian forces suffered losses, and Ukrainian troops were able to carry out clean-up operations and eliminate remaining enemy forces.

“Any public attention would have immediately prompted Russia to deploy reinforcements and intensify airstrikes,” explained the planners involved in the operation. “That’s why we reveal these kinds of operations only after the fact.”

Planning for the campaign began several months ago. Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, created a dedicated search-and-strike group named “Khartiia”. It included units from:

• The 13th Operational Brigade “Khartiia”

• The 475th Assault Regiment “Code 9.2”

• The 92nd Assault Brigade

• International Legion units of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence (HUR)

• The 144th Mechanized Brigade

During the operation, Ukrainian forces broke through to the Oskil River, completely cutting off Russian supply routes to Kupiansk. They liberated Kindrashivka, Radkivka, and their surrounding areas, as well as several northern districts of Kupiansk itself.

While the full details of the operation remain classified—since it is still underway—available data indicate that between late September and early December, 1,027 Russian troops were killed, 291 wounded, and 13 captured. Ukraine has successfully blocked Russian ground access to the city. Cleanup operations in Kupiansk are currently ongoing.

Ground truth

Kupiansk is a vital logistical hub that opens access to the southern Kharkiv region. The city was previously occupied by Russian forces in 2022 but was liberated in a rapid Ukrainian offensive that September. As Russian troops fled, they abandoned weapons and equipment, which Ukraine used to boost its counteroffensive capabilities. Over the past year, the Russian army has renewed its assault on Kupiansk—but the city remains under Ukrainian control.

The Kremlin’s claims that “Kupiansk is Russian” simply do not reflect reality.

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