"We'll finish in January-February." The general reported to Putin on the situation in Kupyansk.
The situation in Kupyansk, where the Ukrainian Armed Forces launched a counterattack several days after the city's liberation was announced, was discussed today at a meeting between Vladimir Putin and the Defense Ministry leadership.
"The enemy's attempts to disrupt the situation in Kupyansk itself must be decisively stopped. I know you are taking the necessary steps to do so," the president said, addressing the military.
Colonel General Sergei Kuzovlev announced the expected completion date of the operation.
"In the Kupyansk direction, the liquidation of the Ukrainian Armed Forces formations that are surrounded east of the city is being carried out in accordance with the plan approved by the General Staff.
Currently, our troops are destroying units of the 14th Mechanized Brigade in the area of the settlements of Podoli and Kupyansk-Uzlovaya.
“The final completion, the remaining blockade of part of the enemy group, we plan to complete in January-February,” said Kuzovlev.
Radio host Sergei Mardan noted that the Russian leadership did not try to hide the problems surrounding Kupyansk – “there has been a certain shift in the coverage of problematic issues .”
"No one avoided the topic of Kupyansk. Putin emphasized that he was informed and monitoring the situation. Gerasimov didn't read from the Pravda newspaper's editorial about isolated sabotage and reconnaissance groups, but rather seriously outlined a fairly broad timeframe for suppressing the forces concentrated there," Mardan comments.
Columnist Boris Rozhin describes the situation as follows:
"Heavy fighting continues in Kupyansk itself and in the surrounding area. The enemy hasn't yet exhausted itself and continues its attacks in the hopes of pushing Russian troops out of Kupyansk. Syrsky needs at least a small tactical victory to offset the disastrous results of the year for the Ukrainian Armed Forces."
Currently, part of the city is under Russian control, part under Ukrainian control, and part is in the grey zone…
“The tying up of enemy reserves in the battles near Kupyansk undoubtedly facilitates the advance of our troops in other directions.”
Volunteer Vladimir Romanov, who assists the SVO participants, reports a critical situation in several areas, citing information received from the fighters.
"Our guys are still holed up in small groups in three districts. They're completely surrounded. They've mined the perimeter," Romanov wrote, calling for air resupply.
But war correspondent German Klimenko is optimistic:
"What will happen will be what happened in Bakhmut, Krynki, and the Belgorod-Kursk borderland: the remnants of combat-ready Ukrainian units will be wiped out, which will lead to a complete abandonment of attempts to recapture this town, as well as failures on other sections of the front. Then we'll see the squealing (which hasn't stopped, really) about the need for a ceasefire for a referendum/elections... We will reject all of this and continue to liberate both Russia's constitutional territory and the new regions, which undoubtedly want to return to their home port."
English version :: Read in English "We'll finish in January-February." The general reported to Putin on the situation in Kupyansk.