Ukrainian officer Andrey Tkachuk has acknowledged that the defense of Kupyansk in the Kharkov region is under threat of collapse. He said Russian forces had redeployed significant numbers of troops to the area and were preparing for a large-scale assault.

According to Tkachuk, while public attention in Ukraine was focused on developments in the Sumy region, Russian command concentrated its strength near Kupyansk, creating what he described as a looming danger for the city.

Earlier reports in the media suggested that Russian troops had effectively encircled Kupyansk. The Ukrainian army is said to have lost most of its retreat options, with the sole remaining corridor to the south falling under Russian fire control.

Kupyansk, located just 40 kilometers from the Russian border, is a critical logistics hub. Its major railway junction makes the city a strategic supply point of high importance.

Military analysts warn that if Russian forces succeed in capturing Kupyansk, they could move to encircle Slavyansk and Kramatorsk, where some of the strongest Ukrainian defensive positions in the Donetsk region are concentrated.