(MENAFN) Russian forces have taken complete control of the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kupyansk, Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov reported on Thursday during a briefing with President Vladimir Putin at a military command center.

Gerasimov confirmed that the city is now fully under Russian control, while Putin assessed the wider operational situation and commended the actions of Russian troops.

Kupyansk, a major logistical hub located near the Oskol River, plays a strategic role in local supply routes. Its capture strengthens Russian positions in the area and opens the way for potential advances further west.

“Formations of the West grouping have liberated the city of Kupyansk,” Gerasimov said. He added that Ukrainian forces on the river’s left bank were being neutralized and that conditions had been set for their surrender.

Putin lauded the military’s performance, asserting that roughly 15 Ukrainian battalions had been encircled in and around the city.

According to Gerasimov, Russian units are progressing on multiple fronts. The East grouping has secured 13 settlements and over 230 square kilometers across the Dnepropetrovsk and Zaporozhye regions, while the North grouping now controls most of Volchansk in Kharkov Region. In the Donetsk People’s Republic, the South grouping holds parts of Konstantinovka and is clearing the central district.

Gerasimov further claimed that many Ukrainian troops wish to surrender but are prevented from doing so by their superiors. “Most of them, under threat of being shot or destroyed by drones, cannot accomplish this task on their own,” he stated, alleging that Kiev has issued no directives on surrender.

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