Vladimir Putin has suffered a stinging humiliation on Christmas Day as Ukraine took full control of Kupyansk.
It comes after Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, remarkably said in his Christmas message that he hopes the dictator dies.
The Russian ruler has been boasting in recent weeks that his forces stormed the strategic city in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region.
But pro-war Moscow channels have now admitted that Putin’s troops have been routed and forced out in a ‘worse than critical’ defeat.
Ukraine always denied that Russia had grabbed full control and two weeks ago Volodymyr Zelensky even visited part of the city to taunt Putin over his false claims.
At this point, the control was divided between Russia and Ukraine. However, it is now fully under Ukraine’s control, according to reports.
The Kremlin ruler had even awarded General Sergei Kuzovlev, 58, the top Hero of Russia honour for securing Kupyansk – even though the victory is now seen as hollow.
There are now calls to strip him of his award amid fears Putin is being fed inaccurate claims of victories by his top commanders.
Putin has suffered a humiliating Christmas Day defeat as Ukrainian forces took back control of Kupyansk, a territory he claimed to have taken last month
An aerial view of Kupyansk. Ukraine had always denied claims that Russia had taken control of the city
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky filmed himself taking a picture in the city, despite the Russian claims
‘The settlement came under the control of the Ukrainian Armed Forces,’ said war commentator Vladimir Romanov.
One loyal source called the loss a ‘****-up’ by Putin’s forces. ‘The situation is worse than critical,’ said another.
They have hit out at ‘false reports’ of victories to Putin, who boasted about the military successes in a bid to impress Donald Trump that he had the battlefield initiative.
Russian commanders believed their own propaganda and withdrew the troops needed to hold small amounts of territory they had gained.
‘The poorly organised psychological operation in Kupyansk failed,’ declared Two Majors channel.
‘Much worse is that, according to our comrades, reserves were withdrawn from the direction, and our forces were not able to properly consolidate even [our gains].
‘That is, with the information-psychological operation about Kupyansk, we defeated ourselves, not the enemy.’
Putin boasted: ‘Kupyansk came under our control several weeks ago.’ His war fanatics are stung over the defeat.
‘I don’t know what’s going on in Kupyansk and I’m waiting for the Russian Defence Ministry to explain the situation in a way that’s understandable to ordinary people,’ demanded Yulia Vityazeva.
Putin’s humiliating loss comes just hours after Zelensky said in a video message that he hopes the Russian president dies.
Russian General Sergei Kuzovlev seen receiving the title of Hero of Russia from Putin after he claimed he had taken the city. There are now calls for him to be stripped off the honoour
In a Christmas address, Volodymyr Zelensky said he wished Putin dies
In a pre-recorded clip, filmed in front of a festive backdrop, he said: ‘Today we all share one dream. And we make one wish together. “May he [Putin] perish”. Each of us may think privately, but when we turn to God, of course, we ask for more.
‘We ask for peace for Ukraine. We fight for it. And we pray for it.’
US and Ukrainian officials have been locked in marathon discussions in Florida this week in an effort to end the war, which is now entering its fourth year.
Yesterday, it was revealed that Zelensky had offered to create a demilitarised zone in eastern Ukraine.
He said: ‘We are in a situation where the Russians want us to leave the Donetsk region, and the Americans are trying to find a way so that it is ‘not a way out’ – because we are against leaving – they want to find a demilitarised zone or a free economic zone in this, that is, a format that can provide for the views of both sides.’
The talks have mostly centred around the fate of the Donbas, Ukraine’s eastern industrial heartland comprising the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
While Putin’s forces currently control most of Luhansk, and around 70 per cent of Donetsk, he has demanded that Ukraine give up the remaining territory that has not been captured, a position Kyiv has rejected.
Despite the ongoing peace talks, Putin has intensified his attacks on Ukraine in recent weeks, killing several civilians and injuring many others.
Despite the ongoing talks to find a solution to end the war in Ukraine, Putin has intensified his attacks in recent weeks
He has also targeted the country’s energy infrastructure, leaving many citizens across the country without power and in freezing conditions.
Meanwhile, on Monday, a top Russian general was killed after a bomb under his car detonated.
He played a crucial role in training troops fighting in Ukraine. Russian officials said they were investigating whether Ukraine had a role in the assassination.
Yesterday, a car bomb exploded in Moscow, near the site where the general was killed. Two police officers and a third person who was standing nearby died in those attacks.
