Kupiansk

Overview

Kupiansk is located on the bank of the Oskil River. Kupiansk is divided into three subparts, known as: Kupiansk (main part of town), Kupiansk-Vuzlovyi (where the train station is), and Kivsharivka.

Kupiansk is about two and a half hours from Kharkiv. The two cities are connected by train and bus.

History

1655–1942

The town of Kupyansk was first known as Sloboda Kupyansk, which was founded in the year 1655. It was a free settlement until the year 1685, when it received "town" status. It was a part of Russia up until the second world war.

World War II

Kupiansk was occupied during World War II by Germany from 24 July 1942 to 3 February 1943.

Russo-Ukrainian war

Kupiansk was first occupied by Russian forces from 27 February 2022 to 10 September 2022. Although the Ukrainian Army had destroyed a railway bridge to slow the Russian advance three days earlier, Kupiansk Mayor Hennadiy Matsehora, member of the Opposition Platform — For Life party, surrendered the city to the Russian Army in exchange for a cessation of hostilities, as the Russians threatened to take the city by force. As a result, the Ukrainian government indicted Matsehora for treason the next day. On 28 February 2022, Matsehora was arrested by Ukrainian authorities. Later Kupiansk became the de facto seat of the Russian-backed Kharkiv military-civilian administration and an important logistical supply route. At Kupiansk town hall, the Ukrainian flag continued to be flown for 6 weeks, and at the medical school for 3 months. Locals were forced to work for the occupation force, paint bridges in the colours of the Russian flag and perform railway repair for alleged salaries that were never paid out.

Kupiansk was liberated during the 2022 Kharkiv counteroffensive. On 8 September 2022, a representative of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine announced that Ukrainian forces had retaken more than 20 settlements in the Kharkiv Oblast and "in some areas penetrated Russian defence positions up to 50km". On the same day, the Russian occupation authorities claimed that "the Russian army began to defend the city" and that "additional reinforcements entered the region from Russia", indicating that Ukrainian forces were re-approaching the city from the west, after retaking the town of Shevchenkove earlier that day. On 9 September 2022, Ukrainian forces re-entered the outskirts of Kupiansk and its administrative borders, starting the battle of Kupiansk. By the morning of 10 September 2022, Ukrainian forces had recaptured the city council building. Later that day, a Ukrainian official confirmed that the Ukrainian Armed Forces had liberated the city. By September 26, Ukrainian Forces liberated Kupiansk-Vuzlovyi, the sister city of Kupiansk, located on the left bank of the Oskil River.

After retreating from the city, Russian troops repeatedly shelled it. In particular, the central city hospital, high-rise buildings and a lyceum, the Kupiansk-Vuzlovyi railway station and others were damaged.

The first strikes against the town were on 13 September, which killed two civilians. The next day, one person was wounded from airstrikes. On 18 September, five people were injured from shelling in Kupiansk. Two days later, two civilians were killed and five injured after Russian shelling on the city. On 22 September, a woman and two children were injured by shelling.

On 26 September, Russian forces shelled a convoy of civilians escaping the villages of Kurylivka and Pishchane near Kupiansk, killing 26 civilians. Signs of torture were discovered in Russian administration centers throughout the city.

On 27 September, five civilians were injured after a Russian strike on a church in Kupiansk.

On 3 October, Russian shelling of a hospital in Kupiansk killed a doctor and injured a nurse. One woman was injured on 5 October by an airstrike.

Kupiansk's bridge over the Oskil River was partially damaged in combat, and became suitable only for use by pedestrians. Russian forces bombed the local meat factory of Kupiansk, killing around a thousand pigs.

On 3 March 2023, Ukrainian authorities ordered an evacuation of civilians from the city due to advances of the Russian Armed Forces around Kupiansk and Bakhmut.

On 14 November 2024, two Russian armoured vehicle columns advanced into the city from the northeast, though reportedly had tenuous control over the area. Russian forces made further progress into the city the following day, with fighting reportedly ongoing in the industrial area, and were reportedly setting up supply lines to assist in further offensive efforts. After facing logistical problems, Russian forces withdraw from Kupiansk in late November.

At the end of January 2025, the Institute for the Study of War assessed that Russian forces are attempting to use their bridgeheads across the Oskil river to support their advances and encircle Kupiansk from the northwest, as well as set the ground for future advances and offensives into Kharkiv Oblast. In September 2025, the Russian Ministry of Defense stated that the seizure of Kupiansk would support Russian efforts to advance toward Sloviansk and Kramatorsk (both south of Kupiansk) and seize Ukraine's fortress belt in Donetsk Oblast, which further highlighted the strategic importance of the city during the war.

On 24 May 2025, Ukrainska Pravda reported that over 90% of Kupiansk is destroyed or damaged from the bombardment.

During the Kupiansk offensive, misinformation and false intelligence reports have sparked friendly fire incidents among Ukrainian troops. By early October 2025 the city was again partially occupied by Russia. On 20 November 2025, the Russian Defense Ministry announced the full capture of Kupiansk, although the Ukrainian military denies this. On 12 December, President Zelenskyy confirmed with his visit that the city is not captured.

Uawire reports that "The operation to liberate Kupyansk remains far from complete", and that "Clearing continues “house by house,” complicated by the presence of civilians “whom the Russians use as human shields.""

Population

Ethnicity and language

Ethnic makeup of the city as of 2001:

Distribution of the population by native language according to the 2001 census:

Geography

Climate

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210717143555/https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/normals/WMO/1981-2010/RA-VI/Ukraine/12.6.%20WMO_Normals_Excel_Template%20%282%29.xls | archive-date = 17 July 2021 | access-date = 18 July 2021}}

References

References

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2. "Купянская городская громада". Portal of united communities of Ukraine.
3. "Мер Куп'янська розповів про ситуацію в місті - Новини Харкова".
4. {{cite ISW. (2025-11-24)
5. {{cite ISW. (2025-11-26)
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8. "Нові райони: карти + склад". Міністерство розвитку громад та територій України.
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10. "Mayor of Kupiansk who surrendered his city to invaders indicted for treason".
11. "In Kharkiv region, mayor admits to handing over city to occupiers".
12. (2022-02-28). "Мера Куп'янська, який здав місто окупантам, затримано – джерело".
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50. "Національний склад міст".
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