By John Q. Hosedrinker 
Ukrainian forces have successfully pushed Russian troops out of the northwestern part of Kupiansk, trapping approximately 200 remaining Russian soldiers in the city center. This counteroffensive, planned and commanded by the 2nd Corps “Khartia,” involved blocking and cutting off the Russian garrison from their main forces, resulting in the recapture of several villages and the targeting of Holubivka. The offensive intensified after Russia initiated an assault in the summer of 2025 with the goal of occupying the city and seizing a key logistics hub, but since then, Ukrainian forces have reportedly killed over 1,000 Russian troops. The operation in central Kupiansk is still ongoing.
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Ukrainian forces push Russians out of northwestern Kupiansk, war monitors say, and it seems like quite a significant development. DeepState, a source that often provides insightful updates on the conflict, is the one reporting this for now. Everyone else is still in the process of confirming, but the pieces of the puzzle certainly seem to be falling into place. The fact that Ukraine’s president, Zelensky, was reportedly only a short distance from Kupiansk is a strong indicator that things are indeed shifting in Ukraine’s favor.
The news is striking, especially when considering the sheer scale of the losses Russia is supposedly facing. There are reports of a thousand Russian soldiers killed, with another two hundred trapped. This level of attrition raises so many questions, especially given how consistently the narrative has been that Russia has an inexhaustible supply of manpower, artillery shells, tanks, and the financial resources to keep the war machine rolling. It’s almost unbelievable, especially when you consider how many people online were confidently predicting an imminent Ukrainian collapse. The reports of high Russian casualties, as a direct consequence, make this all the more noteworthy.
It’s fascinating to imagine the internal chaos within the Russian ranks. The internal squabbling, and the blame game, must be in full swing. One can almost picture the panicked phone calls and the desperate attempts to understand how things went so wrong. There’s mention of officials reporting the city as already fully taken weeks ago, which just further highlights the degree of misinformation and the disconnect between the official narrative and the reality on the ground.
It also brings up the issue of the frozen Russian assets, and how they could potentially be used to support Ukraine’s efforts. The idea of funneling a substantial amount of money, say $25 billion a month, from these assets to Kyiv to help support the war effort makes a lot of sense, especially considering the financial strain the war is placing on Ukraine.
This news, however, should be put in perspective with the reality that Ukraine hasn’t gained any net territory since the start of 2024. That part is critical, and something that the media in the U.S. doesn’t portray often enough. The reports of counter attacks around Kupiansk and the extremely vulnerable Russian positions in the city have been there for a while. It appears that Ukrainian forces were able to partially close the narrow corridor that the Russians used to infiltrate the city. It’s no surprise that pro-Russian sources are confirming this.
Zelensky’s visit to Kupiansk further reinforces the idea that things are evolving. It shows that, at the very least, Ukraine is taking serious steps. The way some people reflexively interpret the conflict in the most favorable light for Russia, regardless of the evidence, is interesting. Any doubt or uncertainty is automatically twisted to portray the worst possible scenario for Ukraine and the best possible one for Russia.
The uncomfortable truth is that this is still a very evenly balanced war. Both sides are struggling. If either side was truly on the verge of victory, they would have probably already achieved it by now. The outcome of this war will depend on the actions taken over the next year or two, and factors like the volume of aid that Ukraine receives, as well as the resources Russia is able to bring to bear. Anyone who claims one side’s victory is inevitable is ignoring reality.
It’s crucial to look at the overall picture, and to see just how much territory Russia has actually gained over the past three years. According to some estimates, Russia’s net gains since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in 2022 are around 11-13% of Ukraine’s internationally recognized territory. However, a significant portion of that was occupied in 2014. The recent gains, since 2022, are reported to be a mere 1%. This puts everything into context. The enormous casualties, the equipment losses, and the very small amount of land taken since the initial months of the war, are all indicative of how difficult this conflict has become for Russia.