Ukraine's actions in Kupyansk were meant to be secret, but anyone closely following the war was likely aware that something significant was underway, though not the specific details, dates, or exact locations.
Ukraine pushed into Kupyansk in one of the year's largest counterattacks, destroying many Russians and cutting off their main supply routes. Russia may still have minor alternative routes available, but these are limited and dangerous to use.
Russia released videos of failed Ukrainian assaults, portraying them as isolated incidents. However, geolocation of these videos revealed Ukrainian advances deep behind Russian lines, contradicting those claims and confirming earlier rumors of success.
Ukraine is now highly successful in Kupyansk, likely clearing Russian forces within two months. Russiaโs previous river-crossing method, the tunnel, is no longer usable, leaving it with the choice of attacking from Milove or attempting risky direct boat crossings.
The Milove path seems more realistic. Russiaโs ability to attack from Milove toward Velykyi Burluk or Kupyansk remains a notable threat in Kharkiv Oblast. Russia has also reinforced Vovchansk with a new regiment of assault infantry, likely headed toward Bilyi Kolodyaz.
While the main threat in Kupyansk is largely neutralized, the surrounding region still faces several imminent threats.
Chancellor Merz:
Dear friends, the decades of Pax Americana are largely over for us in Europe, and for us in Germany as well. It no longer exists as we knew it.
That's the way it is. The Americans are now very, very aggressively pursuing their own interests. And that can only mean one thing: that we, too, must now pursue our own interests.
And, dear friends, we're not so weak after all. We're not so small after all.