Street by Street, Basement by Basement, Ukraine's Tanks and Commandos Root Out Russian Infiltrators in Kupiansk

More Russians are coming

116th Mechanized Brigade photo

Russian infantry slipped past Ukrainian defenses around the city of Kupiansk, in Kharkiv Oblast, early last week. A Ukrainian tank, presumably from the 116th Mechanized Brigade, rolled right up to the half-demolished building the Russians were sheltering in—and blasted them at point-blank range.

More Russians followed. The Ukrainian 19th Special Forces Center rooted them out. (See video below.)

Expect further incursions. The Russians are determined to gain a foothold in northern Kupiansk. “The enemy will consolidate on the northern outskirts of Kupiansk and will try to paralyze the logistics support of Ukrainian defense forces’ units defending in the city itself and east of it,” the Ukrainian Center for Defense Strategies warned.

The Russians’ ultimate goal, according to CDS, is to capture the eastern city by the end of the year, further squeezing Ukrainian defenses in Kharkiv and neighboring Donetsk Oblast.

What’s especially frustrating for the Ukrainians is that they’ve managed to reverse recent Russian gains in several sectors in recent days. But not in Kupiansk. At least not yet.