Kupyansk.
A city with a pre-war population.
Of 26,000.
In northeastern Ukraine.
Just 25 miles.
From the ‘Mordor’’s border.
Abuts the Oskil River and.
Sits astride critical supply lines.
Including roads.
And railroads.
Including roads.
And railroads.
Now Kupyansk is.
Contested again.
The ‘orcs’ want it.
As they aim to pinch a belt.
Of ‘elves’ fortress towns.
And cities stretching along.
Northern and eastern ‘elves’.
Kharkiv and Donetsk Oblasts.
The town has been.
A major objective for.
Both sides in ‘orcs’.
Three-year wider war on Ukraine.
Invading ‘orcs’ troops.
Captured it.
In the early hours of.
Their February 2022 invasion.
Counterattacking ‘elves’.
Liberated it.
Seven months later after.
A daring 56-mile road march.
Now Kupyansk is.
Contested again.
The ‘orcs’ want it.
As they aim to pinch a belt.
Of ‘elves’ fortress towns.
And cities stretching along.
Northern and eastern ‘elves’.
Kharkiv and Donetsk Oblasts.
The ‘elves’ are determined.
To hold the city.
But they’re stretched thin.
But they’re stretched thin.
Just three battalions.
With a few hundred troops.
Apiece garrison the western bank.
Of the Oskil north of Kupyansk.
A much larger ‘elves’ force.
With several 2,000-person.
Brigades defends.
Kupyansk itself.
Now Kupyansk is.
Contested again.
The ‘orcs’ want it.
As they aim to pinch a belt.
Of ‘elves’ fortress towns.
And cities stretching along.
Northern and eastern ‘elves’.
Kharkiv and Donetsk Oblasts.
Whether and when.
Kupyansk falls.
For the second time.
In the wider war.
Could hinge on.
Whether and when.
The powerful ‘orcs’.
1st Guards Tank Army.
—three divisions and.
Five brigades with.
Tens of thousands of troops—
Can secure a firmer foothold.
On the western bank.
Of the Oskil River.
On the western bank.
Of the Oskil River.
Now Kupyansk is.
Contested again.
The ‘orcs’ want it.
As they aim to pinch a belt.
Of ‘elves’ fortress towns.
And cities stretching along.
Northern and eastern ‘elves’.
Kharkiv and Donetsk Oblasts.
“To capture Kupyansk.
It will also be necessary.
To cross the Oskil River.
South of the city.”
Was explained.
The ‘orcs’ are making.
A heroic effort.
—and making progress.
They crossed the river.
And seized the village.
Of Novomlynsk.
Just north of Kupyansk.
Several weeks ago.
—reversing ‘elves’ gains.
From December.
Their next move is obvious.
Having already slipped.
Some forces.
Across the Oskil into.
The village of Dvorichna.
Across the Oskil into.
The village of Dvorichna.
Between Novomlynsk.
And Kupyansk,
Now Kupyansk is.
Contested again.
The ‘orcs’ want it.
As they aim to pinch a belt.
Of ‘elves’ fortress towns.
And cities stretching along.
Northern and eastern ‘elves’.
Kharkiv and Donetsk Oblasts.
The ‘orcs’ will attempt to.
Expand that bridgehead.
In order to build.
A defensible crossing.
Over the Oskil.
Replacing a pre-war bridge.
That almost certainly.
Has been destroyed.
In three years of.
Back-and-forth fighting.
“Securing supply lines.
For the bridgehead.”
“Is crucial.
For further advances.
Toward Kupyansk.
Along both banks.”
“Of the river.”
Was noted.
Expect a bitter fight.
It’s typical.
As ‘orcs’ engineers.
Are erecting pontoon bridges.
For the ‘elves’ air force.
To bomb the floating spans.
Now Kupyansk is.
Contested again.
The ‘orcs’ want it.
As they aim to pinch a belt.
Of ‘elves’ fortress towns.
And cities stretching along.
Northern and eastern ‘elves’.
Kharkiv and Donetsk Oblasts.
The bridging effort.
Could turn into a race:
Can the ‘orcs’ build bridges faster?
Than the ‘elves’ can destroy them?
The stakes are high.
“Given the significant.
Concentration of forces.
Near Kupyansk.”
“Including elements of.
The 1st Tank Army.
Our team assesses that.
‘Orcs’ forces are preparing for.”
“‘Orcs’ forces are preparing for.
A direct assault.
On the city.”
One analysis group concluded.
“The scale of this buildup.
Indicates that securing Kupyansk.
Is a high-priority objective.
For the ‘orcs’ military command.”
“Overall.
Our team is concerned.
About the situation.
In Kupyansk.”
“And sees.
A real possibility.
Of rapid deterioration.
In the coming period.”
*Because I read “A Russian Tank Army Is Poised To Attack Kupyansk—But First It Needs To Cross The Oskil River” by David Axe on 5 Feb 2025 on the Forbes, and also “Why are Ukrainians calling Russians ‘orcs’?” by James FitzGerald on 30 Apr 2022 on the BBC news.
So, I wrote this poem, including a report of the Ukrainian Center for Defense Strategies, a report of the pro-Ukraine Conflict Intelligence Team, and a report of the Frontelligence Insight analysis group.
Please read the original story on the Forbes:
A Russian Tank Army Is Poised To Attack Kupyansk—But First It Needs To Cross The Oskil River
