Kupiansk Crisis Escalates with Russian FPV Drone Attacks Hindering Evacuations

The situation in Kupiansk is becoming increasingly critical due to constant shelling and intensified attacks by Russian FPV drones targeting those involved in evacuating local residents. In this regard, it is planned to involve rescuers and police with armored vehicles, as conducting evacuations solely by volunteer groups is no longer feasible.

This information was announced on June 19 by Andriy Kanashevych, head of the Kupiansk district military administration, during a broadcast.

“Previously, volunteers used to enter the city of Kupiansk and evacuate people. Currently, such operations can no longer be carried out by volunteer groups alone. If anyone requests our help with evacuation, we will involve the appropriate units with the necessary type of transport. This indicates that the situation is worsening, that the Russians have significantly increased their shelling and are using everything they have,”

The authorities are urging people to organize more actively for evacuation, promising to provide full support. However, the public response remains insufficient, as many try to stay in place despite the danger.

According to Kanashevych, shelling of Kupiansk and nearby settlements occurs daily. Attacks by FPV drones have become especially active, striking moving targets indiscriminately, hitting both civilian vehicles and military ones.

“The main problem is the significant increase in FPV drones, specifically FPV drones using fiber optic cables. They attack moving targets. We see that they do not really discriminate, and both civilian cars and military vehicles come under fire. The drone tactics have changed: whereas before they would fly in and attack certain objects, now, using fiber optics, they fly in, land on a road or somewhere else, and simply wait for someone to move along that road, either walking or driving. Then they attack.”

Due to constant shelling in Kupiansk and other settlements on the right bank of the Oskil River, it is not always possible to restore water, gas, and electricity supplies. The situation is especially difficult in frontline communities such as Petropavlivska, where since September 2022 none of these utilities have been restored, and people continue to live under constant threat.

According to the head of the district military administration, since September 2022, about 349 people have died in the Kupiansk district as a result of Russian aggression, and the number of wounded exceeds one thousand.