Battle for Kupiansk: Why the coming weeks will be pivotal for Ukraine’s Defense Forces

Russian troops have managed to expand their control in the central part of the city in the Kharkiv region.

This is relayed by the analytical monitoring project DeepState.

According to the channel's analysts, the situation in Kupiansk remains precarious, as enemy squads that have infiltrated the city over the past four weeks have amassed sufficient infantry and are now attempting to advance toward the southern part of Kupiansk.

“To put things in perspective, Ukraine’s Defense Forces have repeatedly eliminated enemy units in the area where the R-79 highway turns toward Sadky. The Russians’ ultimate goal is to infiltrate the crossing point at Kupiansk-Vuzlovyi,” the analysts report.DeepState notes that, fortunately, a large number of Ukrainian drone operators are actively working over the city, which reduces the enemy’s offensive capability. Still, Russian troop numbers in the area remain considerable.

“Stabilization actions are ongoing in the city center, and it’s possible that special forces will share some updates. However, these are raid-style operations — aimed at preventing the enemy from regrouping and advancing,” the report says.

The analysts forecast that the next few weeks will be decisive for Kupiansk. Either Ukraine’s Defense Forces will find reserves to stabilize the situation — or, regrettably, the enemy will amass a critical concentration of infantry.

“Despite the ongoing fighting in the city, the situation on the eastern bank of the Oskil River remains relatively stable. The enemy is pushing along the railway near Stepova Novoselivka, but is unlikely to achieve significant progress in the near term — assuming, of course, that Kupiansk can be held," DeepState wraps up.