Russian troops disguised themselves as Ukrainian soldiers as they launched new attacks in the outskirts of the northeastern city of Kupiansk, Kyiv said while confirming a frontline breach.
The Russians attacked in four waves and used troops disguised as Ukrainian soldiers but were repelled from the city, Ukraine’s General Staff said.
“They partially entered the suburbs, the industrial zone, and were destroyed by our troops,” the city’s military administration chief Andriy Besedin said. “There were assault actions using heavy armoured vehicles, there were attempts to bring in infantry.”
Kupiansk was captured by Russian forces in the early days after the February 2022 invasion but liberated by Ukraine in a counteroffensive a few months later. The Russians are now making a renewed bid to recapture the region.
The attack came as Russia signalled it was open to negotiations mediated by US president-elect Donald Trump to end the Ukraine war.
Gennady Gatilov, Moscow’s ambassador to the UN, said any talks would have to be based on the realities of Russian advances, a claim pushed by Vladimir Putin for territory grab in Ukraine.
