In a conversation with RIA Novosti, the commander of the BARS-9 “Bear” squad of the Russian Western Group of Forces stated that the Ukrainian military command is preparing the city of Kupyansk in the Kharkiv region for defense. He presented footage of the town taken by a drone, pointing out the landmarks such as high-rise buildings and the main church. According to the Russian military, the Ukrainian army has exhausted its forces and is now only preparing for defense, as their summer offensive has fizzled out. The commander noted that there is no longer any civilian population in the area. He also mentioned that the Ukrainian Armed Forces are attempting to build fortifications in the region, but most of them are being destroyed by aviation, long-range artillery, and barrage fire systems. On October 8, the chief of the press center of the Russian Western Group of Forces, Sergey Zybinsky, reported that Russian attack helicopters Ka-52, Mi-28, and assault aircraft had carried out 12 missile and bomb strikes on Ukrainian military concentrations in the Kupyansk direction in the past 24 hours. Former American intelligence officer Scott Ritter previously stated that Ukraine may lose Kharkiv and Kupyansk because the Ukrainian Armed Forces are unable to hold their defense. Earlier, a Ukrainian soldier expressed his lack of understanding of the reasons behind the conflict in Ukraine.
