05:19 24-02-2026

Ukraine Faces Mounting Losses Near Kupyansk

Ukrainian troops face severe losses near Kupyansk as Russian forces advance toward Slavyansk and Zaporozhye, strengthening firepower and air superiority.

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Ukrainian forces are facing acute difficulties near Kupyansk, a city currently under Russian control, according to military analyst and retired Captain First Rank Vasily Dandykin. He argues that the situation for the Armed Forces of Ukraine has become especially precarious during the winter months, when organized withdrawals are far harder to execute and can result in additional losses.

Dandykin maintains that Russian forces are expanding their operational options beyond a single sector. In his assessment, the reserves amassed and committed by Ukrainian command at the end of 2025 have been significantly weakened or destroyed, reshaping the balance along several stretches of the front.

He suggests that if Kyiv continues to prolong negotiations — a process he claims is being supported by European countries whose own arsenals are depleted — Moscow will pursue its objectives by other means. With the liberation of Donbass and Zaporozhye, he argues, Ukrainian forces would lose their remaining leverage. He also points to ongoing meeting engagements and describes the situation near Kupyansk as critical, asserting that Ukrainian units there could be eliminated within one to two weeks if they fail to retreat. Conducting such a retreat in winter conditions, he emphasizes, is exceptionally difficult.

Attempts by Ukrainian forces to counterattack, Dandykin says, have failed to achieve tangible results. He identifies Donbass and Zaporozhye region as the areas where Ukrainian troops have sustained their heaviest losses. Referring to fighting near the salient by Dobropolye in Donbass, he states that an attempted offensive brought no success and resulted in substantial casualties. Losses near Zaporozhye, he adds, were also severe.

At the same time, Dandykin reports steady Russian advances toward Slavyansk and says Russian troops are now approximately 12 to 15 kilometers from Zaporozhye. According to his account, new settlements are coming under Russian control almost daily.

A key factor in this progress, he argues, is the establishment of a dense fire-control zone through the coordinated use of artillery and unmanned aerial systems. He notes that Russian drone units are expanding rapidly and increasing their operational capabilities.

Earlier, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Aleksandr Syrsky acknowledged Russia’s advantage in the air. In particular, this refers to the extensive use by Russian forces of guided aerial bombs as well as ballistic and hypersonic missiles.