The Russian Defense Ministry reported on Tuesday that troops from the Western forces group are making progress in liberating the city of Kupiansk, considered by Moscow a key point for control of eastern Kharkiv province.
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The military ministry stressed that Kupiansk is a logistics centre of great importance, as it is where railway lines and roads converge on which supplies from Ukrainian forces pass on the eastern bank of the Oskol River.
In addition, the city has an advantageous defensive position, as it extends on both banks of the river and has elevated areas.
According to the statement, Ukraine turned the city into a fortress, where almost every building was prepared as a long-range fire point.
Currently, Russian troops claim to have 5,667 of the 8,667 buildings under control and to have surrounded a contingent that includes Ukrainian special forces and fighters from the Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK), declared a terrorist organisation in Russia.
The official balance indicates that up to 700 soldiers were blocked in the area, of which about 250 have already been eliminated, while in the last month the Armed Forces of Ukraine have reportedly lost 1,800 soldiers, 36 tanks and 137 artillery pieces.
