Russia Declares Recapture of Strategic City Kupiansk as Putin Oversaw Military Operations

On Thursday, the Russian military announced that it has retaken the Ukrainian city of Kupiansk, an important stronghold for Ukraine in the eastern Kharkiv region, where Russian troops have been making consistent progress.

Ukraine previously regained control of this strategic railway hub in September, several months after it was captured by Russian forces on the very first day of the invasion in 2022. However, Ukrainian forces have faced increased challenges along the front line in recent months.

Sergei Kuzovlev, the commander of the western troop grouping, informed President Vladimir Putin during a televised address that the city of Kupiansk had been «liberated.» He referred to it as a «vital component» of Ukraine’s defensive capabilities.

This development coincides with Ukraine’s formal receipt of a U.S. proposal aimed at resolving the conflict. According to a senior official familiar with the draft, the proposal seems to align with Russia’s demands for Ukraine to relinquish territories currently held by Moscow.

Before the announcement, the Kremlin revealed that Putin visited a military command center on Thursday to hear updates from officers regarding the front line situation amid the ongoing conflict with Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed to reporters that the president and commander-in-chief had convened a meeting with the chief of staff at one of the command posts, though he did not clarify whether this location was in Russia or in the territories under Russian occupation.

Prior to the war escalating, Kupiansk had a population of approximately 55,000 residents.