Ukraine thwarts large-scale Russian attack on northeastern front
- 15 November, 10:20
Ukrainian troops have repelled a Russian army’s attempt to break into the city of Kupiansk in northeast Kharkiv region.
"All Russian attacks in this direction were successfully repelled. Russian invaders failed to enter Kupiansk. The city is under the control of Ukraine's Armed Forces," Andrii Kovalev, the spokesman for the General Staff of Ukrainian Armed Forces stated on Thursday.
Another official, Kupiansk’s military administration chief Andriy Besedin revealed that Russian army units partially entered the suburbs and the industrial zone of the embattled city of Kupiansk that is just 2.5 km from the frontline. Russians used heavy armoured vehicles, and involved infantry in the assault, however their attempt to advance failed and they were destroyed by Ukrainian troops, the military official added.
Reuters quoted Russian official Vitaly Ganchev as saying that Russian forces were gaining a foothold on Kupiansk’s outskirts. Earlier on Wednesday, DeepState website reported that Russian troops managed to enter Kupiansk city but soon retreated, after suffering heavy losses.
Kupiansk is a logistic and railway hub in northeastern Ukraine, bringing together several highways and five railway lines. Captured by Russian forces in the early days of Moscow's full-fledged invasion in February 2022, Kupiansk was retaken by Ukraine in a counteroffensive months later. Since then, the city has been under constant Russian shelling, with its population of 3,000 being forced to evacuate.
