**Ukrainian Forces Repel Russian Attack on Kupiansk**
On November 14, Ukrainian forces successfully defended the city of Kupiansk in Kharkiv Oblast against a Russian attack. According to the General Staff of Ukraine‘s Armed Forces, all Russian attempts to break into the city were repelled.
The statement was made by General Staff spokesperson Andrii Kovalev, who said that Russian invaders failed to enter Kupiansk and that the city remains under Ukrainian control. This comes after a claim by the crowd-sourced monitoring website DeepState that some Russian units had entered the city on November 13, but suffered heavy losses.
**Kupiansk’s Strategic Importance**
Kupiansk is a key logistics and railway hub in eastern Kharkiv Oblast, with several highways and five railway lines running through it. The town was briefly occupied by Russian forces before being liberated during a successful Ukrainian counteroffensive in autumn 2022.
Russian forces had attempted to break through Ukrainian defenses near Kupiansk on November 13, attacking in four waves with 15 vehicles, including tanks and armored fighting vehicles. However, Ukrainian defenders destroyed all Russian armored vehicles and a significant part of their manpower.
**President Zelensky Thanks Defenders**
In his evening address, President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the soldiers defending the front line and spoke of Russia’s attempts to expand their offensive, especially in the Kupiansk direction. He expressed gratitude for the resilience of Ukrainian units.
Despite the successful defense of the city, regular shelling by Russian forces creates increasingly hard conditions for locals to continue with their lives, with no gas, water, or electricity on the eastern bank of the city.
**Russian Goals**
Capturing the city would widen the north-to-south supply route from Russia’s Belgorod Oblast, fueling their attempt to take the entire Donbas region. Russian forces have been trying to find a footing for a final push to reach the Oskil River, dividing the city into two, before winter sets in.
Read More @ kyivindependent.com