What happened in Kupiansk? Successful counterattack by "Khartiia" group

Author: Yurii Butusov

I have been working in Kupiansk for two months as part of the "Khartiia" search and strike group, and now I can give a detailed report on the operation in which I am directly involved.

It is important to realise that the operation to liberate Kupiansk is not yet complete, it is too early to celebrate, the enemy attacks daily, trying to break through into the city again from the north and along the left bank, the enemy holds a significant part of the city, and the fierce battle is ongoing.

I command several UAV crews near Kupiansk, I go out to the positions, and I want to say that the successful counterattack north of Kupiansk is primarily due to the efforts of the soldiers — infantrymen, artillerymen, UAV operators — who, under targeted fire from artillery and drones, broke through enemy battle lines and repel daily attacks in very difficult conditions and despite losses.

Now, regarding who is commanding the operation, so as not to spread misinformation.

On 21 September, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine O. Syrskyi created a search and strike group consisting of the 2nd Army Corps of the NGU "Khartiia" to launch a counterattack north of Kupiansk. Colonel Ihor Obolenskyi was appointed to command the operation.

- The senior commander in the area was the commander of the Operational and Tactical Group, General D. Krasylnykov.

- On 24 September, assault groups of the 475th Regiment "Code 9.2" (commander - Hero of Ukraine O. Nastenko) liberated the village of Tyshchenkivka.

- On 9 October, assault groups of the 4th Battalion of the 92nd Assault Brigade (commander - M. Kakulia) and the 475th Regiment liberated the village of Kindrashivka.

- On 11 October, assault groups of the 13th Brigade "Khartiia" (commander - D. Nevhasymov) liberated the village of Radkivka. The liberation of Kindrashivka and Radkivka marked a breakthrough in the enemy's defences.

- On 17 October, M. Drapatyi was appointed senior commander in the area.

- On 21 October, the assault group of "Khartiia" broke through to the Oskil River, cutting off the Russians' advance routes.

- From the beginning and up to the present, Colonel Obolenskyi, corps commander of "Khartiia" , and the group headquarters he appointed, headed by Serhii Sydoryn, planned, commanded and were responsible for our work. Therefore, the information circulating in the blogosphere that M. Drapatyi allegedly commanded the operation is not true. Mykhailo Vasylovych has many achievements of his own, and there is no need to attribute others to him. Drapatyi is doing his important work in the area, and other commanders are doing theirs, and the merits of each should be noted truthfully.

So what exactly happened?

In mid-September, the situation in Kupiansk became critical. The enemy — units of the 68th Motorised Rifle Division and the 27th Motorised Rifle Brigade — crossed the Oskil River on a wide front, gained a foothold, and launched an offensive north of Kupiansk. The enemy captured the villages of Kindrashivka, Radkivka, Tyshchenkivka, and Holubivka. Some positions of Ukrainian soldiers of the 114th, 144th, and 117th brigades were effectively cut off by the enemy and found themselves surrounded.

Using a gas pipeline and large forest areas, Russian assault groups broke through the ground route directly to Kupiansk and effectively captured most of the city.

The dominant height in the northern part of the city with a television tower and multi-storey buildings, from which the approaches to the city are completely controlled, was captured by the enemy. These were not isolated SRGs — they were assault units from the 121st and 122nd regiments, the 27th brigade, and the 1855th battalion of the Russian Armed Forces.

The search and strike group was tasked with repelling the enemy and advancing to Oskil, closing the routes to Kupiansk, surrounding the occupiers in the city, and then liberating the city in cooperation with the troops of the 10th Army Corps and the "Kupiansk" tactical group.

The "Khartiia" group included units from the 92nd Assault Brigade, the 475th Assault Regiment "Code 9.2", the 13th Brigade "Khartiia", and the 144th Mechanised Brigade. For specific tasks, the "Khartiia" group also included a company from the 425th Assault Regiment "Skelia" and a group from the Legion "Freedom of Russia". Drone support is provided by the NGU's "Lazar" and "Typhoon" units and the Kharkiv region patrol police.

The enemy deployed a battalion defence area in the Tyshchenkivka, Kindrashivka and Radkivka areas, while continuing its assault operations and creating a "kill zone" with a high density of UAV operations by unmanned forces, the 7th Regiment, and the "Judgment Day" and "Rubicon" units. It is virtually impossible to avoid encounters with Russian drones. For example, the "Novator", which I used for my first reconnaissance mission, was also hit by a Russian fibre-optic drone, and it was only thanks to the vehicle's protection that we were lucky to survive.

And despite such resistance and the enemy's advantage in drones due to effective planning, the Russian "kill zone" was broken through in two areas at once. Our actions were sudden and unexpected for the enemy, which allowed us to significantly reduce losses and not get bogged down in the battle for any particular position.

Assault groups from the 475th Regiment "Code 9.2" and the 92nd Assault Brigade destroyed enemy positions in the Kindrashivka area and took control of a key forest area, inflicting colossal losses on the enemy with drone strikes. In the forest near Kindrashivka, the positions of the 114th Brigade, which had been cut off by the enemy six months ago, were liberated.

Assault groups of the 13th Brigade "Khartiia" defeated the enemy and liberated Radkivka, accomplishing the objective of the operation - they broke through to Oskil, completely restoring the ground defence line in this area. As a result, "Khartiia" cut off the enemy's route to Kupiansk, all exits from the pipe were reconnoitered and turned into our "kill zones".

Soldiers of the 92nd and 144th brigades have secured advantageous positions, are fighting heroically, and are effectively repelling Russian attacks, clearing and destroying all breakthroughs and infiltrations.

Thus, Russian troops in Kupiansk were completely surrounded at the beginning of November.

The command of the Russian 68th Division immediately launched attacks, which are carried out literally every day, in order to prevent the rapid elimination of the units surrounded in Kupiansk. Even when there are only one or two Russian assault troops left in a group, they still try to attack and infiltrate our battle lines in fog and rain. As a result, we have to engage in combat even in the immediate rear — recently, a mortar crew captured two occupiers.

However, the enemy is unable to break through the defences of the "Khartiia" group north of Kupiansk. All "infiltrators" are methodically destroyed throughout the entire depth of the battle lines thanks to well-organised reconnaissance, coordination and strikes. We also have losses, and they are significant.

But the Russians' losses are many times higher. Based solely on the forces of the group and only according to objective control data, more than 1,000 Russian soldiers have been confirmed killed and 13 occupiers captured.

The "Khartiia" group launched an attack on Russian positions in the north of Kupiansk and, together with soldiers from the "Kupiansk" tactical group, liberated several key residential areas.

Special mention should be made of the soldiers of the "Kupiansk" tactical group (General V. Solimchuk), the fighters of the 127th Mechanised Brigade, the 425th "Skelia" Regiment, the 125th Mechanised Brigade, the 116th Mechanised Brigade, the 101st Security Brigade, the Military law enforcement service, the SSU, the 151st Regiment, the SOF, and KORD. There are not many of them, but they are doing everything they can. They initially held back the occupiers' advance and are now advancing towards "Khartiia", jointly liberating the occupied city.

It was the fighters of the "Kupiansk" Tactical Group — the 425th Assault Regiment "Skelia", the 127th Brigade, and the 125th Brigade — who completely liberated the important high-rise neighbourhood of "Yuvileinyi" from the enemy, which makes it impossible for the enemy to try to hold the southern part of the city.

It is also important to note the soldiers of the 116th Mechanised Brigade and the 14th Mechanised Brigade of the 10th Army Corps, who, in extremely difficult conditions, have been heroically defending the approaches to Kupiansk on the left bank of the Oskil River for a long time, preventing the enemy from breaking through to the city. Without their efforts, it would have been impossible to defend the city.

Putin and Gerasimov's statements on 20 November about the "complete liberation" of Kupiansk and their "readiness to bring foreign journalists to Kupiansk" were met with humour by Ukrainian soldiers near Kupiansk, as by that time the Russians had already been completely cut off from the city.

I cannot describe all the nuances of our tactics that allowed us to break through the "kill zone" with minimal forces and reach Oskil. But it is the commanders who create the advantage on the battlefield that allows us to stay ahead of the enemy in modern warfare, even in the "kill zone," and to accomplish our tasks despite the enemy's superior numbers and drones. Therefore, in my opinion, the actions of the command are an example of effective asymmetric actions with limited forces in a chaotic situation against the enemy that has superior forces.

The operation to liberate Kupiansk is far from over. Day after day, houses are being cleared, but the operation is complicated by the large number of civilians who remain in the city and are being used by the Russians as human shields. Day after day, the enemy attacks our positions on the left and right banks of the Oskil River in order to break through to Kupiansk again. Everyone who wants to support Ukrainian Kupiansk, please help the main heroes — the ordinary soldiers of the units and subunits I mentioned in the article.

Yurii Butusov, Censor.NET