Russia claims its troops have captured about half of the city of Kupiansk in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region, but Kyiv denies any such advance.
Kupiansk has been the focus of months of increased Russian military activity and heavy fighting. Russian troops captured the city in the early weeks of their February 2022 invasion and Ukrainian forces took it back later that same year.
Much of the city has been destroyed as Moscow tries to seize it back as part of a slow advance westward along parts of the 1,000km-long frontline.
The Russian Defence Ministry released a drone video showing a soldier holding a Russian flag while standing on a road in the town.
Ukraine’s 10th army corps, in a post on the Telegram messaging app, described the Russian report as staged propaganda, Reuters said.
