The city of Kupyansk, on the northeastern perimeter of the Ukrainian front, remains the scene of one of the toughest and bloodiest clashes of the war.
At the center of this campaign stands a figure that many in the city do not openly mention, but know well: Major General Sergei Storozhenko, commander of Russia’s 6th Combined Arms Army, one of the highest-ranking… defectors from the Ukrainian Armed Forces now fighting against Kyiv.
Born and raised in a village about two hours west of Kupyansk, Storozhenko has personal ties to the area for which the battle is now raging.
His mission is clear and critical: to recapture this vital stronghold, which threatens to open the way for a broader advance toward Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city.
Kupyansk, which was liberated early in the war and captured by the Ukrainians in September 2022, is a key point: if it falls again, it will serve as a gateway for Russian forces into the wider region, endangering vital supply networks.
From the Ukrainian army to Russian command - A story of betrayal and rise
Storozhenko was not always an enemy.
He served as a distinguished Ukrainian officer, and in 2014, during the annexation of Crimea, he switched sides, an act many described as treason.
According to circulating reports, he encouraged others to defect as well and soon rose through the Russian military apparatus: he was awarded the medal “For the Return of Crimea”, assumed command of the 126th Brigade on the peninsula, and later advanced to oversee larger formations, eventually taking command of the 6th Army and the offensive on Kupyansk.
From the Ukrainian perspective, commanders point out that Russian tactics “work” only if you have an unlimited flow of manpower and disregard for losses.
It is precisely this human-cost strategy that makes the battle so bloody and prolonged.
What lies ahead
In Kupyansk, it is believed that only a few civilians remain, about 500, according to estimates, amid the ruins of a city that, before the war, had a population of around 27,000.
And while both sides remain trapped in this slow and deadly confrontation, the future of the city, and the strategic advantage for the broader region, remains uncertain.
The story of Sergei Storozhenko, from Ukrainian officer to one of the leading commanders of the Russian offensive, serves as a symbol of the divisions and personal choices that shape the face of this war.
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