Moscow Claims Major Gains in Kupiansk as Ukrainian Losses MountRussia’s Defense Ministry reported on Tuesday, September 23, that its forces are successfully advancing in the operation to liberate Kupiansk in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region. Encirclement and Reported Ukrainian LossesThe ministry stated that up to 700 Ukrainian fighters remain trapped in Kupiansk, of whom 250 have already been eliminated. Russian troops first entered the city in February 2022, but withdrew in autumn of that year as Ukrainian forces advanced in the Kharkiv region. Underground Assault TacticsAccording to the ministry, Russian assault groups operated in coordination with reconnaissance, artillery, drones, and electronic warfare units. Ukrainian sources earlier reported that Russian troops entered Kupiansk through a gas pipeline near the settlement of Lyman Pervyi.