Colombian assault teams encircle Russian holdouts in Kupiansk and dismantle their positions

Kupiansk has become a test of whether Russia can preserve the appearance of control after its offensive momentum has already broken. What remains inside the city is no longer a coherent assault force, but scattered infiltration elements whose main value to Moscow is political symbolism rather than military effect. Ukraine, by contrast, is treating the situation as a containment and liquidation problem, not a defensive emergency. The priority is to prevent any Russian narrative of holding ground from surviving long enough to justify renewed reinforcement attempts. To achieve this, Ukrainian command has shifted from broad maneuver to precision urban clearing, emphasizing experience, coordination, and casualty minimization. The battle for Kupiansk is therefore less about seizing terrain and more about decisively closing the door on Russia’s last foothold in the sector.

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