Russians deliberately hit the ceiling in Kupyansk, where Zelensky was filming an address – sources
Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Photo: Office of the president)

On December 15-16, Russians fired intensely at the stele at the entrance to Kupiansk, Kharkiv region, against which on the 12th president Volodymyr Zelenskyy previously recorded a video message refuting Russian control over the city. About this two LIGA.net's interlocutors among the defenders fighting in the Kupiansk said.

They assumed that the occupiers had only hit the ceiling because the president had taken a picture of himself next to it, and now the Russians were trying to make it look different. According to them, such a massive attack on the stele had no other practical benefit at all.

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The invaders probably did this for propaganda purposes to "prove" that Zelenskyy was not in Kupiansk, the interlocutors believe.

In the comments LIGA.net Viktor Tregubov, a spokesman for the Joint Forces Command (JFC), which is responsible for this area, could not refute or confirm the information about the shelling of the stele. However, he noted that theoretically, "nothing prevents the occupiers from targeting it with drones."

"Technically, it is possible. Our [defenders] even use drones to tear down flags in other situations," he explained.

Regarding the fact that the occupiers can shell this stele only for information and propaganda purposes, Tregubov said: "Why not? on November 15, they actually demanded that their own people wave Russian flags. Also, [flags] were dropped from drones. I would say the military benefit [of this] is the opposite."

The spokesperson also said that the current situation in Kupiansk has not changed: the occupants are surrounded in the city.

"There is a gradual cleansing process, complicated by urban conditions and sometimes the use of civilians as human shields, so it will continue for some time," he said.

  • On December 12, president Zelenskyy wrote down a video message and took a picture in front of the ceiling at the entrance to Kupiansk. This happened after the Russian leadership repeatedly claimed about the alleged complete occupation of the city.
  • On December 17, Ukrainian Armed Forces chief Syrskyi said that due to active search and strike operations, the defenders drove the Russians back from Kupiansk and took control of almost 90% of the city.
  • Interlocutors LIGA.net the command said that the head of the tactical group of the same name was responsible for the operation of Ukrainian forces in Kupiansk, general Solymchuk, who is the deputy head of the JFC commander Drapatyi.