Today, there are important updates from the Kupiansk direction.Here, after the Russian infiltration line into the town was cut, the Ukrainian assault units started clearing Kupiansk of Russian presence. Now, the stranded Russian soldiers are increasingly desperate to choose between certain death and surrendering.The Ukrainians must retain control of Kupiansk, as this would enable them to stabilize the frontline and prevent any Russian advance southward along the Oskil River, an outcome that could render Ukrainian positions east of the river untenable. The second reason is political, as Vladimir Putin has already proclaimed the complete capture of Kupiansk, despite a different reality on the ground. If the Ukrainians push the Russians out of their limited positions, this will undermine the Russian president’s narrative and send a strong message before potential negotiations.Now, as the Ukrainians have full fire control over the narrow path connecting Kupiansk with the Russian bridgehead north of it, the next goal is to conduct systematic clearing operations, aimed at neutralizing the remaining Russian elements still operating inside, thereby consolidating control and reducing the likelihood of Russian expansion beyond the river.If we look at the topographic map, we can see that Ukrainian forces have control over the key hill-ridge west of Kupiansk, which provides excellent conditions for drone operators, enhanced observation points to surveil enemy attempts to reach the town, and better fire support. The Ukrainians also have more reliable land-based supply routes from the west, allowing them to exert even more pressure, especially after they recaptured some ground on the western flank of the salient. At the same time, the Russians hope that their dispersed units inside the town will make it hard for the Ukrainians to locate and eliminate them, giving enough time for reinforcements to try to reach them. The only viable way to deliver any supplies at the moment is through Russian drones, also used to slow down the Ukrainians before they can finish off the trapped Russians in intense close-quarters battles. To avoid detection, the Russian infiltrators try to conceal themselves in ruins and basements, often wearing civilian clothes, enabling them to launch sudden and dangerous ambushes. Footage from Kupiansk shows how operators of the 138th Special Purpose Center are approaching the town through a forest belt with a pickup. After stopping at a safe distance from the zero line, they continue their assault, moving quickly using the thick vegetation to conceal their movement from Russian reconnaissance drones. After they searched and thoroughly cleared the first buildings for sabotage groups, they moved on and eliminated two Russian soldiers, checking them to gather intelligence, such as phones and radios. Geolocated footage shows how other Ukrainian special forces are passing through a forest with buggies to quickly approach the town before dismounting and continuing their assault on foot. After reaching the outskirts of Kupiansk, they start to silently conduct a sweep from building to building, carefully manoeuvring under the guidance of drones. These videos prove how difficult it is for the Russians to defend, as the skilful Ukrainian special operators can move close with cars and buggies through the forested areas west of Kupiansk and infiltrate from behind without the Russians noticing them. This means that Russians can quickly find themselves surrounded by Ukrainian soldiers, and knowing that reinforcements are not coming, they are prone to surrender when facing an overwhelming opponent. In a video released after a successful raid, two captured Russian soldiers are explaining how desperate the situation is, with evacuation impossible, which prompted them to come out of their shelter and make themselves apparent to a Ukrainian drone, which directed them to Ukrainian soldiers on the ground. Overall, the Ukrainian clearing operations inside Kupiansk show that the Russian announcement about capturing the town was premature and even counterproductive. Now, the remaining Russians are under constant Ukrainian pressure from all sides and are denied any other chance of survival besides surrendering. Ukrainian assault units continue targeting remaining infiltrators, as the Ukrainian General Staff reports that approximately 60 enemy soldiers are still present in Kupiansk, indicating that without further reinforcements…