Russian assaults on Kupiansk are being commanded by traitor from Crimea Storozhenko - BBC Ukraine. PHOTOS
Russian troops are attempting to storm the Ukrainian city of Kupyansk, advancing through an underground gas pipeline under the Oskil River, similar to tactics previously used near Avdiivka and Sudzha. The operation to attack the city is being led by a former Ukrainian officer who betrayed his oath and defected to Russia - Serhiy Storozhenko.
As Censor.NET reports, BBC Ukraine writes about this.
Moscow is trying to seize at least some of the positions in the destroyed Kupyansk to confirm the statements of its own general staff. Officially, Russia claims to control about half of the city, but independent maps of the fighting do not confirm any significant progress.
The Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Federation, Valery Gerasimov, regularly publishes reports on the successes of the offensive, which differ significantly from the real situation. For example, in Gerasimov’s video about the "practically blocked Kupyansk", Russian troops actually control only the northern outskirts, while Ukrainian forces are conducting counterattacks. Even Russian military bloggers mock such "victories", pointing to distorted data from the command of the 6th Army.
The offensive on Kupiansk is commanded by Lieutenant General Serhiy Storozhenko, a former Ukrainian officer who, after the annexation of Crimea in 2014, switched to the side of Russia, received a Russian passport, and headed the 126th Coast Guard Brigade. In 2023, he became the commander of the 6th Army, which is currently fighting in the Kupiansk direction. According to former colleagues, even during the annexation of Crimea, Storozhenko was agitating the Ukrainian military to switch to the side of Russia.
Despite years of offensives, the Russians have not been able to fully capture the city. They have established themselves only on the western bank of the Oskol, creating a bridgehead for attempts to advance, but Ukrainian forces are constantly cutting off supply routes and launching counterattacks.
To transfer reinforcements, Russia is using a defunct gas pipeline between the villages of Lyman Pershyi and Radkivka, about 13 km long. Personnel are transported through it in small groups, but most units suffer significant losses. The Ukrainian military controls the exits from the pipe, and it is impossible to transfer heavy equipment, which greatly complicates the assault on Kupiansk.
