Defense expert Viktor Kevlyuk from the Center for Defense Strategies said this in an Espreso TV broadcast.“As for the ‘pipeline story’ in Kupiansk, I can’t say much. I only know that occupiers recently tried a similar tactic in Pokrovsk. Yesterday, I spoke with a battalion commander defending on the Kupiansk axis. He said 13 enemy troops infiltrated their rear: two were captured, six were eliminated, and the rest are being hunted down in basements where they hide.The enemy is focused on destroying Ukrainian mortar batteries and UAV operator positions, as these are ruining all of Russia’s plans. That is why they keep trying infiltration tactics and gathering in small groups. Still, the approach used here by Russia’s 6th Combined Arms Army and 1st Tank Army shows they are in a tactical dead end. They don’t know how to advance or fulfill their orders. For now, there is no cause for concern about Kupiansk,” Kevlyuk explained.He also noted that Russian troops have nearly eliminated the Ukrainian bridgehead on the Chornyi Zherebets River. Some Ukrainian units have retreated to the opposite bank and are trying to secure new positions.“The situation on the neighboring Lyman axis is developing more negatively for us. The Russian 20th Combined Arms Army and the main forces of the 25th Army are operating there. They have practically finished eliminating our bridgehead on the Chornyi Zherebets. Many Ukrainian units have retreated across the river, and the enemy is trying to prevent them from holding new lines. Forcing us out of these positions while simultaneously crossing the river is a complex tactical task,” he added.On September 12, the head of the Kupiansk Military Administration, Andriy Besedin, stated that Kupiansk and the entire community remain under Ukrainian control despite Russian disinformation attempts.Ukraine’s General Staff denied reports by the OSINT project DeepState claiming that Russian troops had infiltrated the town through a gas pipeline. They confirmed that Kupiansk, Kharkiv region, remains under Ukrainian control, though fighting continues on its outskirts and the situation is difficult.