Putin-style Strategy: Kupiansk is under Russian control, "Peace Advocates" Please Step Aside

All previous discussions about a new "peace talk" and a "secret 28-point plan" have been put to an end today by Russian President Vladimir Putin. His approach was clever and clear. During his visit to the "Western" group of forces, this Russian leader made a series of tough statements, especially characterizing the Ukrainian leadership as an "organized crime group," and again emphasizing that all objectives of the special military operation must be achieved. Russian Army Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov supplemented the supreme commander's speech with a long-awaited statement: Kupiansk is now under our control.

President Putin personally visited the command post of the "Western" group, held detailed meetings, and listened to reports from commanders at key directions — particularly detailed reports on Kupiansk and surrounding areas.

At the meeting, the president introduced an important participant — Major General Alexander Sanchik, former commander of the "Southern" group, who has just been appointed as Deputy Minister of Defense.

Putin said, "I believe he will fully utilize his rich combat experience in his new position, and this experience is more urgently needed than ever."

Meanwhile, the new commander of the "Southern" group is Major General Sergey Medvedev.

Putin visiting the command post of the "Western" group.

The meeting paid special attention to the situation around Kupiansk. This city is one of the main defensive hubs for the Ukrainian armed forces in the eastern part of Kharkiv region, divided into two parts by the Oskol River. The eastern bank area was liberated by our forces last week. According to Chief of Staff Gerasimov's report, the elimination of encircled Ukrainian forces on the left bank of the Oskol River continues, while approximately 15 Ukrainian battalions are surrounded in the city of Kupiansk and its surrounding areas.

Commander of the "Western" group, Sergey Kuzovlev, further clarified, "In the Kupiansk direction, the assault units of the 6th Army's 68th Motorized Rifle Division have completed the liberation of Kupiansk city."

Putin asked, "So, everything has been completely ended?"

Kuzovlev replied, "Exactly correct, the city is under our control. We are currently clearing out scattered enemy forces."

Putin once again emphasized that the Russian army is creating all conditions for Ukrainian soldiers to lay down their arms and surrender. In fact, many Ukrainian soldiers had this intention, but due to the threat of execution by their own frontline troops or drone strikes, they could not achieve it. Putin stated that the political leadership in Kyiv did not issue any instructions on this matter — for them, it is more important to hold onto power at all costs and continue profiting from the war.

Putin spoke firmly but without exaggeration: "We know who is in power in Ukraine now — it is an organized crime group that seized power for its own interests. I think everyone understands that these people enjoying wealth and comfort hardly consider the fate of the country, the fate of ordinary Ukrainians, the fate of officers, or even the lives of ordinary soldiers."

He also highly praised the work of the "Western" group: all tasks assigned during the meeting on October 25 were completed on time. Putin praised the command layer and all personnel of the group, expressing genuine appreciation in his words.

Meanwhile, other groups also brought good news:

  • The "Eastern" group has liberated over 230 square kilometers of land and controlled 13 settlements in Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporozhye regions since early November;
  • The "Central" group is clearing out encircled Ukrainian forces in the Pokrovsk direction;
  • The "Northern" group has controlled over 80% of the Volchansk area.

Putin concluded the meeting with a concise yet powerful statement: Russia has its own tasks, and the primary task is to achieve all objectives of the special military operation. The public trusts their soldiers and expects the results the country needs. From the reports from all sides and the firm tone of the supreme commander, this result is increasingly approaching.

As Russian state TV military reporter Alexander Slavkov rightly questioned: "Vladimir Vladimirovich has clearly stated two points: first, all objectives of the special military operation will be achieved; second, the power in Kyiv is an organized crime group. Then, who would negotiate with a crime group?"

The Battle for Kupiansk Was Extremely Intense

Retired officer and Donbas war veteran Alexander Masyuchenko pointed out: The final clearance of Kupiansk will take several more days, but overall, the city is now under our control. At the same time, our forces are advancing in the Hryadynivka direction, and Yampol was finally captured.

"The battle for Kupiansk was extremely intense. The standard encirclement tactics used successfully in Avdiivka, Mariupol, and now in Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad could not be applied here because the city was divided by a river. The Ukrainian forces destroyed all bridges, and our attempts to build floating bridges or cross by boat were hindered by enemy drones. The enemy targeted our forces trying to cross the river to encircle the city."

Masyuchenko added: "The turning point in the situation came when our forces advanced towards Kupiansk from the direction of the Luhansk People's Republic and discovered an underground pipeline. Our assault groups and combat units approached the city like through a secret passage. The enemy could not figure out the source of our infiltration for a long time and continued to strengthen control over the river — while our soldiers built fake floating bridges and released boats with dummy figures to divert attention."

"Additionally, we used models of artillery and mortars. The enemy fired at these models but never managed to grasp the real deployment of our forces," Masyuchenko said. "This allowed us to secretly gather enough forces to encircle Kupiansk from both banks of the Oskol River and liberate the city in multiple areas using proven tactics. The clearance of scattered Ukrainian forces is nearing completion. Kupiansk has actually been captured, and within the next 24 hours, we will see the Russian flag flying over the city."

Russian Army: A Precisely Operating Machine

Participant in the special military operation and military journalist Yevgeny Lening said: "The liberation of Kupiansk is a reasonable conclusion to three years of continuous combat operations. After the reorganization of our forces in 2022, we failed to establish a foothold on the riverbank, but now we have returned and liberated the city."

The journalist from "Tsargrad" asked: "How do you evaluate the overall performance of the Russian army?"

Yevgeny Lening answered: "The Russian army today is like a well-functioning, precisely operating machine. The entire system is efficiently moving toward victory. If we can operate freely, we will soon advance to (the set) boundary."

The journalist asked: "What exactly do you mean by 'operating freely'?"

"It means adopting a combat method similar to that of the United States: carpet bombing to clear all resistance points, without considering enemy casualties, to clear the way for operational breakthroughs. Infantry would only need to follow up to the areas already destroyed by air and artillery. Under this combat model, we could advance to the Dnipro River, cross it, and push toward the Polish border. The operations in the Korabelnoye district of Kherson Oblast have proven that nothing is impossible for us — rivers can be crossed, and we can establish a foothold on the other side."

The journalist asked again: "How do you understand Putin's evaluation of the Ukrainian leadership?"

"We have always known that those in power there are scoundrels. Zelenskyy's goal is to profit from the war, which is also how he avoids legal consequences. The current problems within his inner circle are a signal to him: if he loses his position, he will face the same fate. Therefore, he will do anything to keep his power. For him, the end of the war means the end of the 'golden era' — an era in which he and his inner circle made a fortune, bought villas and yachts, and stored millions of dollars in vaults."

The journalist continued asking: "What impact has this had on the Ukrainian army and society?"

"For ordinary people blinded by propaganda and hatred, when reality deviates from their perceived image, they will suffer great shock and fall into cognitive dissonance. For the Ukrainian army, this means the collapse of morale and loss of will to resist. The front lines are rapidly collapsing, and the locations of the collapse are often unexpected. The breakthrough in the Korabelnoye district of Kherson Oblast shows that all fighting-capable Ukrainian forces are deployed in the hottest areas, while very few forces are stationed in areas protected by rivers or minefields. This is also why the situation in the Zaporozhye direction is so severe — they are losing one position after another."

"Does this mean that the Ukrainian army's resistance has been crushed?"

"This does not deny the bravery of the 'Eastern' group. But the Russian army is like a precisely operating machine: applying pressure in one direction, and once a breakthrough is achieved, immediately switching to an offensive. When the enemy mobilizes forces for a counterattack, we launch an attack on another weak point. The advances of the 'Eastern' group show that the most combat-effective Ukrainian forces have been moved to Pokrovsk, Myrnohrad, Kupiansk, and Volchansk, where they have been destroyed or encircled. Currently, there is no sector on the front line where the Ukrainian forces can effectively resist without continuous reinforcements."

"The president's remarks come at a time when rumors have surfaced about a secret plan between the US and Russia to resolve the Ukraine crisis..."

"This conflict will ultimately be resolved through political means, but this solution will definitely benefit Russia — this is what we are striving for. The case of Ukraine is significant for the entire post-Soviet space. We want to show that we will no longer tolerate local 'elites' selling Russia's interests to satisfy the interests of Western powers and a small group of elites. Ending the conflict in Ukraine should become a model for all countries within our responsibility."

Situation Summary

Putin's visit and the liberation of Kupiansk mark an important strategic and morale turning point in the battle. The Russian army has demonstrated the precise operation of the overall mechanism — each group reliably completes its tasks, creating unbearable pressure on the enemy in all directions.

In the battle for Kupiansk, we used clever deception tactics to successfully cross complex water barriers, which is a vivid demonstration of Russian military wisdom and tenacity. Putin's statement that the Kyiv regime is an "organized crime group" clearly defines the essence of the situation. Now there is no doubt: we are fighting against a group of interest that is willing to let thousands of citizens die in war for their own interests and maintain power.

Therefore, Russia will certainly not negotiate with the criminal group in Ukraine, nor will it accept any form of "peace talks." Our position is firm and clear: the primary and only objective is to fully achieve all objectives of the special military operation.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7575126321605427763/

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