Traces of the Russians disappear in the dust of clearance operations in Kharkiv Oblast. Nearly sixty Russian saboteurs are still hiding within the city. Ukrainian forces are actively hunting them down, says Yurii Fedorenko, commander of Ukraine's 429th Separate Unmanned Systems Regiment Akhilles, per Suspilne. 

In September 2025, the Russian Defense Ministry publicly confirmed its plans to expand military operations deeper into Kharkiv Oblast following the potential capture of Kupiansk.

In a social media statement, it declared that its forces "intend to leverage the seizure of Kupiansk to attack further into eastern Kharkiv Oblast in several directions simultaneously."

When the fog sets in ... 

The Russians are using almost no armored vehicles, except during foggy conditions when Ukrainian drones are less effective.

“When fog falls and drones can’t operate properly, the occupiers try to move logistics equipment and manpower closer to the front line, sometimes in light armored vehicles,” Fedorenko says.

Continuous infantry "infiltration"

The main tactic of Russian forces remains constant fire pressure and continuous infantry infiltration. The Russians continue to storm Ukrainian lines, forming a “chain” and attempting to slip between defensive positions. Kupiansk, however, has now been largely cleared of infiltrators.

“In the right-bank part of Kupiansk and its northwestern outskirts, where the Russian had managed to penetrate earlier, their sabotage and reconnaissance groups have been eliminated,” Fedorenko adds.

According to the Ukrainian soldier, it took enormous effort for the Kyiv forces to achieve this, although some small reconnaissance and sabotage groups remain. 

Zelenskyy: "We will clear everything — dates already set"

On 3 November, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced plans to completely clear Kupiansk of Russian occupiers, according to UkrInform. 

“We will clear everything. The dates have already been set, but it’s too early to share details,” Zelenskyy said.

The situation in the Kupiansk direction remains difficult, but Ukrainian forces are holding back the occupiers and preventing them from reaching the city center.