ISW debunks Russian claims of gains near Kupyansk as Ukraine holds the line
ISW says Russia’s top commander Gerasimov presented an inflated battlefield picture, claiming advances west of Kupyansk and gains around Borova, Lyman, and related towns that ground evidence shows did not occur; milbloggers criticize these “beautiful reports” as driving flawed planning, while Ukrainian forces maintain defensive lines and counterattacks limit Russian progress. Russia’s next objective appears to be Shevchenkove, but Kupyansk would have to be secured first, something Moscow has not achieved. Concurrently, the Kremlin expands passportization in Transnistria and Ukraine conducts long‑range strikes against Russian infrastructure in Stavropol; overall, the front remains contested and Russian claims are not borne out on the ground.
