14:46 29-10-2025

Expert: Liberation of Kupyansk and Volchansk Will Cripple Kyiv

Military expert Boris Dzherelievsky says the liberation of Kupyansk and Volchansk will open the way to Kharkov and deal a moral and strategic blow to Ukrainian forces.

The liberation of Kupyansk and Volchansk in the Kharkov region would deliver a major setback to Ukrainian troops, according to military expert Boris Dzherelievsky.

He explained that Ukrainian forces have turned both Kupyansk and Volchansk into fortified strongholds, referring to them as «fortresses». Dzherelievsky stated that once these cities are taken, Russian troops will be able to advance more rapidly, effectively opening the road toward Kharkov.

The expert added that securing these towns would also create conditions for a Russian push to the southeast, which could allow for the encirclement of Slavyansk and Kramatorsk in the Donetsk People’s Republic from the north.

Dzherelievsky stressed that the liberation of Kupyansk and Volchansk carries significant political importance as well. He recalled that both cities were under Russian control in the early stages of the military operation, before being abandoned in the autumn of 2022.

He noted that, following the withdrawal, Ukrainian forces committed violent crimes against civilians in Kupyansk, including the execution of teachers and social workers. For that reason, he said, retaking these cities holds deep moral weight and would symbolize a restoration of justice, while also delivering a psychological blow to the enemy.

According to Dzherelievsky, the situation in Kupyansk for the Ukrainian army has become critical — command and control have been disrupted, and resistance has become fragmented and disorganized.

He suggested that thousands of Ukrainian soldiers trapped in the area are unlikely to escape, and that an organized withdrawal from Kupyansk is no longer possible. Dzherelievsky concluded that Russian forces are unlikely to provide a corridor for retreat.