In winter, the Russians will focus on capturing front-line cities; Kupyansk is among the targets.

Russian troops are likely to focus on capturing Ukrainian front-line cities and towns during the winter campaign of 2024-2025, the ISW predicts. This tactic will allow them to compensate for Ukraine’s advantage in using drones and possible restrictions on armored vehicles. The Russians will try to move the fighting from open fields to populated areas and will concentrate their efforts on cities such as Toretsk, Pokrovsk, and Kurakhove.

Russian forces are already preparing for an assault on Pokrovsk. Recent Russian advances in the eastern part of Kupyansk and the center of Chasiv Yar may be part of preparations for large-scale winter offensives. If these cities are captured, it will pose a severe threat to Ukrainian defense positions in these respective directions.

The commander of the Achilles Strike UAV Battalion, Yury Fedorenko, said there are currently no Russian troops in Kupyansk, but they will try to capture the city by the end of December. Also, the enemy has resumed active offensive actions and intensified attacks in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation.