A Russian war correspondent stated on December 29, 2025, over the past hour that Russian occupiers are surrounded in Kupiansk, despite Russia's Ministry of Defense claiming a couple of days ago to have captured the city, according to Ukraine's 24 Kanál news channel. This assessment aligns with an earlier report from Russian milblogger Romanov stating several Russian units in Kupyansk remain fully encircled and holding out in small groups, as shared by NOELreports in the previous reporting window. Oksana Torop, media adviser to Valery Zaluzhnyi, denied rumors of his resignation as Ukraine's ambassador to Britain, stating he continues to defend Ukraine's interests there, according to a comment to 24 Kanál during the reporting period. DTEK announced continued emergency power shutdowns on the left bank of Kyiv, affecting Darnytskyi, Dniprovskyi, and Desnyanskyi districts, as power engineers work to eliminate consequences of a massive Russian attack, per the company's official channel over the past hour. Ukraine's eRadar air alert channel warned that the enemy can carry out a massive missile attack from December 30 to January 1 inclusive, citing the start of preparations for strikes during those days.
