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The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation launched surprise assault on the city of Kupyansk on the northern Donbass frontlines. As a result of successful offensive operations, Russian forces broke through Ukrainian defense and gained a foothold in the city.
According to both Russian and Ukrainian military sources, the first Russian attack was launched on the evening of November 13th. Two Russian assault groups on armored vehicles moved from their military positions in the area of Liman Pervy toward Kupyansk. According to the Ukrainian military, the first Russian assault group included 2 MT-LB armored vehicles, an infantry fighting vehicle and a tank. Ukrainian soldiers could not reveal the number of vehicles in the second assault group because it entered the battle late in the evening. As a result of the surprise assault, Russian tank and at least one of the MT-LB armored vehicles from the first group broke through Ukrainian defense, entered the city and passed along Svatovska street. On Nekrasova street it came under Ukrainian fire but it was too late because about 15 Russian stormtroopers already attacked Ukrainian positions in the city and captured Ukrainian strongholds in the buildings. Their positions were soon reinforced by other soldiers.
Ukrainian media shared the footage of the battles on the city outskirts:
After the first day of urban battles, Russian stormtroopers supported by armored vehicles gained a bridgehead in the city. The first line of Ukrainian defense was destroyed and the Ukrainian command is forced to urgently send reinforcement to stop Russian advance in the city, including additional forces from the villages nearby that were thrawn into the battle for Kupyansk.
The Ukrainian military were surprised by unexpected Russian assault and are forced to repel the attacks by cannon fodder. Heavy battles are ongoing on the outskirts.
According to Russian reports from the battlefield, the reserve units thrown into battles in Kupyansk are not trained and mainly include soldiers taken from hospitals and men captured on the streets. As a result, Ukrainian forces are suffering heavy losses threatened by the upcoming reinforcement of the Russian group in the city.
If Russian forces manage to save control of the captured positions and expand their bridgehead in the city, the Ukrainian garrison deployed on the left bank of the Oskol River will face heavy supply problems, since earlier the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation took control of the village of Kolesnikovka and cut Ukrainian supply road to Borovaya.
