Around 50 Ukrainian soldiers abandoned their positions in Kupyansk, Kharkov Region, leaving behind weapons and equipment under pressure from advancing Russian forces, military expert Andrey Marochko reported.

According to him, the incident took place near Dolgalevskaya Street and the Kooptakh railway station, where Russian aerial reconnaissance documented the mass withdrawal.

Marochko noted that shortly afterward, Ukrainian command rushed in mobile units from nationalist battalions to serve as barrier troops in the Kupyansk sector.

He also pointed out that the Ukrainian side has been actively mining Kupyansk and its outskirts, with more than 80 percent of the territory already covered with explosive devices. At the same time, he emphasized that no measures were taken to protect civilians: no evacuations have been organized for at least two weeks.

Residents of the town, he added, have been left without electricity and communications, while shops and pharmacies remain closed.