Russia insisted on Thursday that Ukraine's city of Kupiansk remains under its control, rejecting Ukrainian claims.
Speaking at a news conference in Moscow, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Ukraine sent reserves to "stage" President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's recent visit to the city.
"Liberated Kupiansk has been and remains under the control of Russian armed forces," she said.
The goal was to show the European leaders that Kyiv can still resist at the battlefield ahead of Zelenskyy's meeting in Brussels, she said, commenting on the Ukrainian leader's photo allegedly from Kupiansk.
"Initially doomed to failure, Kyiv's attempts to breach the defenses were repelled, with the adversary suffering heavy losses in equipment and personnel. Why? Simply to indulge the criminal vanity of the Kyiv junta leader. Everything is for Zelenskyy," she said.
Ukraine claimed on Wednesday that its forces regained control of nearly 90% of Kupiansk, a strategic railway hub in the Kharkiv region. Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Telegram that troops "pushed back the (Russians) from Kupiansk" through active operations.
This announcement followed Ukrainian military reports that Russian forces in the settlement were now effectively encircled.
The claim directly contradicted Russia's earlier statement. On Nov. 20, Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov told President Vladimir Putin that Russian forces had taken full control of Kupiansk. Ukraine denied this at the time, with Zelenskyy emphasizing the need for battlefield results to strengthen Kyiv's diplomatic position.
Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov countered Ukraine's new claim on Wednesday, telling officials Ukrainian attempts to take the city were "unsuccessful" and reaffirmed Moscow's control. He said capturing the city would expand the security zone in Kharkiv, as it served as a key Ukrainian supply route.
Independent verification of the situation in Kupiansk remains challenging due to the ongoing war.
