‘Reality speaks for itself’ — From war-torn Kupiansk, Zelensky praises troops after reports of successful Ukrainian counterattack
President Volodymyr Zelensky on Dec. 12 recorded a video from Kupiansk, one of the hottest parts of the frontline, in which he praised Ukrainian troops fighting in the city.
The front line visit comes as Ukraine’s National Guard said its 2nd Khartiia Corps carried out a successful counterattack north of Kupiansk, a development that flatly contradicts Russia's recent claims of capturing the city.
"The Russians kept going on about Kupyansk – the reality speaks for itself. I visited our troops and congratulated them. Thank you to each and every warrior! I am proud of you! And I thank all of our Land Forces – today is your day!" Zelensky said in a message posted to X accompanying the video, in which he stands in front of the bullet riddled sign marking the entrance to the city, surrounded by anti-drone nets.
Today, I am in the Kupyansk sector, with our warriors who are getting the job done for Ukraine here.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) December 12, 2025
The Russians kept going on about Kupyansk – the reality speaks for itself. I visited our troops and congratulated them. Thank you to each and every warrior! I am proud of you!… pic.twitter.com/kraYEBSSai
He added that Ukraine’s diplomatic leverage depends on holding strong positions on the battlefield.
"Today, it's extremely important to achieve results on the front so that Ukraine can achieve results in diplomacy. That's how it works: all our strong positions within the country - strong positions in the conversation about ending the war. Thank you to every soldier. I'm proud of you. Thank you to all our Land Forces - today is exclusively your day. Thank you, guys," he said.
On Nov. 20, Russia’s chief of the General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, said Russia had captured Kupiansk, a claim that Ukraine’s Armed Forces refuted.
Reportedly, the latest Trump peace plan envisions a possible land swap in which Russia would trade the relatively small areas it controls in Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk and Sumy oblasts for Ukrainian-held parts of the Donbas.
In a Dec. 12 press release, the 2nd Khartiia Corps said it had spearheaded a counterattack in Kupiansk after the situation there became critical in September. It said units in its "Search and Strike Group” reached the Oskil River north of the city, “completely blocking the land routes" for Russian forces to approach Kupiansk. The corps added the group also liberated the villages of Kindrashivka and Radkivka and surrounding areas.
From Sept. 22 to Dec. 12, the corps said it killed 1,027 Russian servicemen, wounded 291 and took 13 prisoners. "The fighting in the city center is still ongoing," the press release said.
