Russian army was trapped by Ukrainian Forces near Kupiansk: 88% of attackers killed

Near Kupyansk, Ukrainian troops have created a robotic kill zone that eliminates up to 88% of Russian troops before they even approach Ukrainian armed forces positions. This was reported by the Orion unit, part of the Pomsta Brigade. Russian infantry has effectively stopped entering this section of the front, and vehicles don't dare come closer than 20 to 25 kilometers. Any movement is detected and destroyed. The Orion unit entered the Kupyansk sector in May 2025, when Russian troops were actively exploiting the grey zone to build up their forces. The response was a fully automated territorial control system. It combines Leleka and Mavic reconnaissance drones, FPV attack drones, and ground robotic systems. The system is capable of 24-7 surveillance without the presence of troops. A standard attack involves 5 to 12 FPV drones operating on a single target. The enemy simply doesn't have time to figure out where the strike is coming from. Unit officer Vladislav Zolotarev explains the system's logic simply. The goal wasn't to destroy people, but to deprive the enemy of the very ability to move and gain a foothold. And it worked. Russian troops avoid this area, and attempts to break through end in distraction before they even get there. The effectiveness of the kill zone is confirmed by Russian soldiers themselves. One prisoner, callsign Begunok, attempted to lead groups through this area three times. All three times, his units were completely rooted. He was the only survivor and ultimately surrendered to a drone, which escorted him to Ukrainian positions. In this case, ISW revealed the reason why Moscow continues to lie about Kupyansk. The reality is so far removed from these claims that even loyal ZWOR correspondents have lost their nerve. They are increasingly refusing to support the Kremlin's version of events. The scandal erupted following Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belusov's visit to the Russian Western Group of Forces on January 16th. The commander of this group, Colonel General Sergey Kuzovlev, reported that Russian troops allegedly controlled all areas of Kupyansk and had repelled Ukrainian forces' attempts to break into the city. These assertions were made in response to Belusov's direct question about the progress of the clearing of the town. Since November 2025, Russia's military and political leadership has been spinning tales of a complete takeover of Ukrainian Kupyansk. This has been personally stated by chief of the Russian General Staff Valery Gerasimov and dictator Vladimir Putin himself. In reality, Ukrainian forces control not only the city itself, but also the surrounding areas. Russian authorities stubbornly adhere to a false version of events, ignoring both visual evidence and reports on both sides of the front that indicate Russia's lack of control over Kupyansk. Z channels openly state that the General Staff is living in a parallel reality, and completely ignoring the fact that Russian armed forces groups have found themselves in cauldrons trying to break through to a supposedly already captured city. One Russian blogger commenting on Belusov's meeting on January 16th stated that talk of control over Kupyansk doesn't even come close to reflecting the actual situation on the ground, emphasizing that Russian troops haven't controlled the city for a single day. Overall, the blogger community complains about constant failures in the area and sharply criticizes the practice of sending pretty reports about supposed successes to higher-ups. ISW analysts believe the lies about Kupyansk are part of a broader Kremlin information and psychological campaign. It is aimed at creating the impression among US President Donald Trump and Ukraine's other Western allies of Russia's inevitable victory. Moscow is thus pressuring Kyiv to capitulate under the pretense of Russia's superiority. On January 20th, a Russian air defense missile during an air raid siren struck a multi-story residential building in the village of Afipsky in the Krasnodar Krai, causing destruction. Russian propaganda outlets claim a Ukrainian drone hit a house in the village of Afipsky in the Krasnodar Krai. Some Russians also speculate that it was a Ukrainian Flamingo missile. There is no evidence to support this claim. OSINT analysts and local residents say it was a surface-to-air missile. Krasnodar Krai Governor Veniamin Kondratyev confirmed that an air raid alert was issued in the region last night and overnight into January 21st. According to him, UAV debris fell near an apartment building in Afipskoy. Rescuers evacuated the residents of the 177 apartment building for safety. This is far from the first time Russian air defense systems have struck their own populated areas. In the past few hours, two such incidents have occurred in Russia. The first, as we have already mentioned, was in Krasnodar Krai. The second was in neighboring Adygea. The head of the Republic of Adygea, Murat Kumpulov, claims, as do Russian media, that a fire broke out in a multi-story building in the village of Novy Adygea during a drone attack. However, local residents and analysts say it was a Russian anti-aircraft missile. According to Kumpulov, eight people were injured in Novy Adygea, and 15 cars burned. It should be noted that the Ukrainian armed forces only strike military and strategic facilities on Russian territory that are affiliated with the Russian army. These are legitimate targets for the Ukrainian armed forces. The Russian Occupation Army, on the contrary, seeks to destroy Ukraine's civilian infrastructure by launching airstrikes on Ukrainian cities. The car, the parking lot, everything is on fire. Yes, the car. Something flew in, all my windows flew out with glass. It flew in, in short. Half of the house, bro. Pizda. And this is a snake. This is pizdez. Who is this, Lord?