Russian military’s TV channel passes off footage of troops withdrawing from Kupiansk as evidence of them capturing the city
Russia’s Defense Ministry television channel, Zvezda (lit. “Star”) has published several videos showing Russian troops in the Ukrainian city of Kupiansk, presenting the footage as proof that the city had been taken under Russian control. One of the videos, however, shows a group of soldiers moving out of the city.
The footage, filmed either by drones or by the soldiers themselves, appeared on Zvezda on Dec. 27 (1, 2). The latest compilation included three videos, only two of which were geolocated: one showed the Kupiansk Dairy and Canning Plant, and the other took place at the Kupiansk Sugar Plant. Both sites are on the left bank of the Oskil River (the eastern side). While Russian troops have infiltrated both sides of the river, no credible analyst has made the claim that Moscow’s forces have taken control of the city.
The location of another Russian video was labeled simply “Kupiansk.” It appears first in the compilation and is accompanied by the caption:
“The first video shows three of our guys walking through the city.”