Special Operations Forces Blow Up Russian Troops in Central Kupiansk

Soldiers of the 8th SOF Regiment destroyed a building where Russian troops were positioned in central Kupyansk, using TM-72 anti-tank mines.

The regiment’s press service released video footage showing the actions of the 8th SOF Regiment operators in the Kharkiv region.

“During reconnaissance, the SOF team detected enemy forces inside one of the buildings. The enemy had numerical superiority and fortified firing positions. The SOF team broke contact without losses. The building where the enemy had been holding its defense was later completely destroyed using TM-72 mines,” the statement said.

OSINT researcher @Bielitzling on the social network X identified that the events shown in the video took place near the city’s central square.

According to Viktor Trehubov, head of communications for the Joint Forces grouping, the number of Russian troops in Kupyansk has decreased over the past week and is now estimated at around fifty invaders.

He reported this during a national TV broadcast. According to him, the scenario the enemy had hoped for ten days ago – when they attempted to break through into the southern part of the city – did not materialize and has instead worsened for them.

“The situation has now become difficult for the enemy, who remains only in the northern areas of the city. According to intercepted communications, the enemy has slightly fewer than 50 personnel left, and they are now cut off both from one another and from their main forces because their effective logistics have been disrupted,” Trehubov said.

He added that this was achieved thanks to the Defence Forces delivering effective strikes against the enemy and preventing reinforcements from being brought in. However, the situation remains unstable and problematic, as Ukrainian forces are also experiencing logistical challenges.

The situation also remains difficult on the Ukrainian bridgehead on the left bank of the Oskil River. According to Trehubov, due to the enemy’s failure to capture the city itself, they have shifted their efforts to the eastern outskirts of Kupiansk, attempting to eliminate the Ukrainian Defence Forces’ bridgehead altogether.

This information is also confirmed by Yurii Fedorenko, commander of the 429th Achilles Unmanned Systems Regiment. According to him, the enemy is constantly striking the Defence Forces’ crossings, which have to be repaired repeatedly.

“He uses aviation, missiles, and various types of drones to make movement toward the left-bank bridgehead impossible. The engineering units responsible for establishing the crossings are doing a tremendous job,” he emphasized.

At the end of October, the Ukrainian Defence Forces formed a new Joint Forces grouping responsible for the defense of the Kharkiv region and surrounding areas.

The new formation is managed almost entirely by the Joint Forces Command, led by Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi. He previously commanded the Khortytsia and Dnipro operational-strategic groupings.