UKRAINE, KUPIANSK, Sep. 16 — Geolocated footage posted on September 14 and 15 and analyzed by the Institute Study of War (ISW) indicates that Russian forces recently advanced in central Kupiansk and southwest of Stepova Novoselivka (southeast of Kupiansk).

Kupiansk, a city to the southeast of Kharkiv, has been a target of intensified Russian offensive since spring 2025. The reports of Russian sabotage groups entering the Kupiansk and interacting with locals — as well as entering residential buildings north of the city — first appeared at the beginning of August. 

ISW assessed that Russian forces attacked near Kupiansk itself, near Kindrashivka (northwest of the city, marked as occupied at DeepState map); north of Kupiansk near Radkivka (north of the city, marked as occupied), near Krasne Pershe (northeast of Kupiansk, marked as partially occupied), and near Stepova Novoselivka and towards Pischane (southeast of the Kupiansk.)

Assessed control of terrain in the Kupiansk direction on Sep. 15
Assessed control of terrain in the Kupiansk direction on Sep. 15 / Photo: ISW

Previously, war tracking project DeepState reported that Russians use gas pipelines to reach the outskirts of Kupiansk. General Staff said Ukraine’s forces control one of the four pipelines Russians are using and neither of the pipelines lead to the center of the city.

“Ukrainian soldiers are conducting a counter-sabotage operation in Kupiansk. Since the beginning of the operation, in two weeks, Russians have lost 395 troops,” said the General Staff.

At the same time, Andrii Besedin, head of the Kupiansk military administration, said during the national telethon that there aren’t Russian troops in Kupiansk and the whole territory of the city is under control of Ukrainian forces.

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