Russia announced on Tuesday that it had taken control of a strategic city in northern Ukraine and had shot down dozens of Ukrainian drones, some of which targeted the capital, Moscow. Meanwhile, Kyiv reported that it had downed 57 Russian drones aimed at various locations across the country.
In Moscow, Russian authorities declared full control over the strategic city of Kupiansk in northeastern Ukraine, after Ukrainian forces recently said they had recaptured several districts there. The state-run TASS news agency quoted Leonid Sharov, commander of the Russian “Zapad” military group operating in the area, as saying that “the city of Kupiansk is under the control of the Russian Sixth Army.” Sharov added that “small groups” of Ukrainian soldiers attempt to infiltrate the city “every day,” but stressed that “all districts remain under Russian control.”
Russia had previously announced control over Kupiansk in November, before Ukraine later
Russia had previously announced control over Kupiansk in November, before Ukraine later confirmed it had retaken parts of the city. Last Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had visited troops in the Kupiansk area, in a video released after Kyiv announced it had regained several districts of the city and two nearby towns. This came shortly after Ukrainian forces reported achieving a “breakthrough” around Kupiansk, which is considered a key railway hub in the Kharkiv region.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) announced that it had foiled a sabotage attempt targeting the above-ground section of an oil pipeline in the Lipetsk region.
On the military front, the Russian Ministry of Defense said its air defenses had destroyed 83 Ukrainian drones: 64 over Bryansk, 9 over Kaluga, 2 over the Moscow region, 2 over Crimea, and 1
over Tver. In return, the Ukrainian military said it had shot down 57 Russian drones targeting various parts of the country.
Russia and Ukraine have continued exchanging drone and missile strikes since the war began in February 2022, causing casualties and damaging infrastructure, while ground battles persist alongside U.S.-led efforts to negotiate a ceasefire between the two sides.
