The chief sergeant of the 13th National Guard Brigade Khartia Tactical Group stated this on Espreso TV."Over the past few months, the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the Khartia group have been quite successfully conducting search-and-strike operations on the approaches to Kupiansk and in the city itself, where Russian forces are being destroyed. Our search-and-strike group has liberated several settlements north of the city of Kupiansk," he noted.According to the chief sergeant, the Khartia Brigade is operating directly within the city of Kupiansk itself and is successfully cooperating and coordinating its actions with other units of Ukraine's Defense Forces. As of today, Russian forces are surrounded in Kupiansk."Our forces control the situation. The command is aware of all tactical actions of Russian forces and the location of every Russian soldier. Systematic work is being carried out to destroy them directly within the city of Kupiansk itself," the military added.President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that his video address from Kupiansk in the Kharkiv region, which Russian dictator Vladimir Putin had previously called occupied, influenced talks with the U.S. and Europe.