Ukrainian Forces now control 97% of the city of Kupiansk, while Russian occupying troops are effectively isolated in several buildings north of the city center, near the municipal hospital, Viktor Tregubov, a representative of the Joint Forces grouping, said.
He said a group of roughly 30–40 Russian troops remains in the city center, trying to survive with supplies delivered only via an “air bridge.” Attempts by Russian forces to push in from the north and east have been repelled, he added — on the eastern axis, the attackers failed to reach even Kupyansk-Vuzlovyi.
Tregubov noted that one of the key factors demoralizing Russian troops has been the loss of access to Starlink terminals. He said Russian forces had used them to equip drones and maintain stable communications directly in the trenches. That option has now disappeared, he said, causing what he described as “hysteria” in Russian units.
According to Tregubov, Russian troops are trying to compensate for the lack of satellite communications by building Wi-Fi bridges. But that requires powerful transmitters placed on elevated positions, making both the equipment and personnel easy targets for Ukrainian artillery and drones — and leaving blocked groups without reliable coordination.
Earlier, Tregubov said Ukraine’s military is not rushing to eliminate the blocked Russian troops to avoid unnecessary losses among Ukrainian personnel.
Recently in Kupyansk, three Russian servicemen voluntarily surrendered by contacting the “I Want to Live” project.
