Russian Milbloggers Reject Kremlin’s Claims of Control Over Kupyansk

WAR-REPORT : Russian military bloggers, including Kremlin-affiliated commentators and prominent pro-war ultranationalist voices, are increasingly rejecting what they describe as a fabricated battlefield narrative promoted by Russian President Vladimir Putin and senior military leadership. Their criticism follows renewed claims by Russian defense officials that Moscow has secured control over the strategic Ukrainian town of Kupyansk—assertions that independent evidence and on-the-ground reporting continue to contradict.

On January 16, Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov visited the headquarters of the Russian Western Grouping of Forces, where he received a briefing from its commander, Colonel General Sergei Kuzovlev. During the meeting, Kuzovlev claimed that Russian troops had seized the settlements of Kucherivka, Podoly, and Kurylivka in the Kupyansk direction during December 2025. He further asserted that Russian forces fully control Kupyansk itself and that Ukrainian attempts to break through into the town had failed.

Belousov’s inquiry into whether Russian forces were actively “clearing” Kupyansk was met with Kuzovlev’s categorical assurance that the town was already under complete Russian control. These claims closely echoed statements made a day earlier by Russian Chief of the General Staff Army General Valery Gerasimov, who declared on January 15 that Russian forces had seized Kupyansk and were close to capturing Kupyansk-Vuzlovyi, located south of the town.

However, senior Russian commanders have issued similar claims repeatedly since November 2025, despite mounting evidence to the contrary. Ukrainian forces have largely liberated most of Kupyansk and its surrounding areas, according to Ukrainian military reporting and extensive visual documentation. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) continues to assess that the Russian military command is persisting in false claims regarding the seizure of Kupyansk, even as Ukrainian and Russian sources—including pro-war Russian bloggers—contradict official statements.

Several Russian milbloggers openly disputed the Russian Ministry of Defense’s assertions, denying that Russian forces control Kupyansk, Kupyansk-Vuzlovyi, Podoly, Kurylivka, or Petropavlivka. Some described the Russian presence in Kupyansk as limited to “localized defense” positions or “several isolated pockets,” rather than full control.

A Kremlin-affiliated milblogger acknowledged video evidence showing Ukrainian forces operating inside Kupyansk and Kupyansk-Vuzlovyi. The same source noted that footage from around January 9 shows Russian artillery still striking Podoly, despite the Russian Ministry of Defense claiming on January 4 that the settlement had already been captured. The blogger criticized the Western Grouping of Forces for continuing to submit “embellished” battlefield reports to senior leadership, directly referencing Belousov’s January 16 meeting as an example.

Another Russian milblogger covering the Western Grouping of Forces accused General Gerasimov of presenting a “parallel reality” that omits the dire situation of surrounded Russian troops in Kupyansk. According to the blogger, these forces managed to hold out longer than expected but remain unreachable by other Russian units. The report further stated that only a small number of Russian troops briefly entered Kupyansk-Vuzlovyi, where they were subsequently destroyed by Ukrainian forces.

The blogger also claimed that a Russian unit attempted to film a staged flag-raising video in Kupyansk-Vuzlovyi—apparently intended to support anticipated official claims of the town’s capture—before Ukrainian forces struck the group. The blogger remarked that the final moments of the footage “will not be published anywhere.”

Additionally, Russian milbloggers reported that Russian forces only recently reached the outskirts of Petropavlivka and Podoly but have failed to establish control, despite the Russian Ministry of Defense claiming these settlements were seized as early as November 21 and January 4, respectively.

The growing divergence between official Russian military statements and accounts from pro-war Russian sources underscores increasing internal skepticism about Moscow’s battlefield narratives, particularly regarding operations in northeastern Ukraine.