(MENAFN) The Russian Defense Ministry announced on Tuesday that its forces have taken complete control of the eastern part of Kupyansk, a key city in Ukraine’s Kharkov Region.

Ukrainian officials, however, have rejected these claims, asserting that their troops are still successfully defending the city. Moscow responded by saying that President Volodymyr Zelensky is “detached from reality” for denying that Ukrainian units have been surrounded in the area.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Ukrainian forces have repeatedly tried “to get through to the encircled units,” losing up to 60 soldiers and 16 pieces of heavy military equipment in the latest effort. The reported losses include armored vehicles, a radar installation, and several electronic warfare systems.

Zelensky had stated last week that only about 60 Russian soldiers were in Kupyansk and that Ukrainian troops were clearing the area of remaining enemy forces.

Russia previously claimed to have trapped Ukrainian units in two separate sections of the frontline, one of them near Kupyansk. President Vladimir Putin reportedly invited Kiev to order its troops to surrender, but Zelensky dismissed the claim, saying Ukrainian forces still held their positions. He also accused Moscow of spreading disinformation aimed at misleading Western allies, especially the United States, whose aid remains critical to Ukraine’s war effort.

Reports indicate that the Ukrainian military is struggling with desertions and difficulties enforcing conscription, as public resistance to mandatory service remains high. Meanwhile, Kiev has expressed hope that its long-range strikes on Russian energy facilities could offset Moscow’s battlefield advantage.

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