Compared to Donbas and its destroyed cities, Kupyansk in the Kharkiv region attracts less attention. However, the city's"slow death" that lasted for more than two years is a metaphor for other settlements on the front line in Ukraine that are being ruthlessly destroyed by Russia. It writes about this The Guardian .

In particular, the journalists told the story of 77-year-old resident of Kupyansk, Lyubov Lobunets, who left her home in August when a Russian explosive device fell on it.

"I was in a five-story building. I don't know if a Russian missile or a bomb hit the building, but a fire started, and when the flames reached my floor, I was stuck because the door was damaged and I couldn't escape," the woman shared.

According to her, the Ukrainian military saved her life, but by that time most of the residents had already left the city.

"A few months before I left, a few shops were open. But in the last month, almost everything has closed. All social services have been evacuated," Lyubov added.

The small town market was gone, and the houses scattered along the hillsides were destroyed by shells. The fields outside the town, bordering the river, are filled with craters.

At the same time, Lobunets explained why she initially did not want to evacuate.

"I worked as a nurse, and my pension was very small. I was afraid of where I would live and how I would manage," the woman noted.

Russian attempts to retake the city

It is known that the occupiers captured Kupyansk in the first months of the full-scale Russian invasion, but the city was liberated by Ukrainian troops in September 2022. The city was not so badly damaged then, but the destruction began later when Russia tried to retake the city.

"Its forces have advanced to their current partial encirclement, and Russian troops now occupy some positions on the west bank of the Oskol," The Guardian recalled.

Due to the widespread use of drones by both sides, travel through the city and surrounding countryside has become dangerous.

"When we arrived here, our brigade took over the positions that the previous brigade had lost. Since we have been here, we have not lost any territory, and now we are having small successes in repelling attacks," said the commander of the 15th Brigade,"Caesar."

According to him, the current Russian tactic is to move small groups of infantry into areas with dense forest cover, where they meet and gather with others.

"We're talking about very small groups. No more than three people, and they're using assembly points. We know they're trying to gather here, opposite our sector, at least a hundred out of 5,000 in all directions. But they're constantly bringing in reinforcements," Caesar noted.

The commander, whose brigade fought on the outskirts of Zaporizhia and survived fierce battles in Donbas, says he sees no end to the war.

"After our major counteroffensive operation failed in 2023, it became clear that this war is not leading either side anywhere. Our task now is to constantly defend. If we lose, it will be a major strategic defeat, as this is a logistical and railway hub. This could be a turning point. The good news is that thanks to the heights around Kupyansk, we can clearly see much of the sector, but there are no signs that they (the Russians - UNIAN) are reducing their efforts. They will keep trying because the soldiers are more afraid of their own side than of us," explained "Caesar."

Fighting in the Kharkiv region - latest news

Previously, the Institute for the Study of War wrote that Russia exaggerates"successes" in the Kharkiv region and throws sick recruits into battle. Despite Russia's loud statements, its troops have not made significant progress either in the north of Kharkiv or in Sumy region.

In particular, in the Volchansk direction alone, since May 2024, the Russians have lost more than 15,000 killed, most of whom are unarmed recruits.

Simultaneously DeepState named two possible scenarios regarding the situation in Kupyansk. According to analysts, the coming weeks could be critical for the city.

"The situation in the city remains difficult, as the groups that have been penetrating the city for the past 4 weeks have been able to accumulate a sufficient number of infantry and are trying to move into the southern part of Kupyansk," DeepState added.