This is reported by the state Russian news agency Tass, citing a military spokesman.
The information comes just days after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited soldiers on the frontline on the outskirts of Kupyansk on Friday, after the Ukrainian army said it had pushed back Russian troops in the strategically important city.
The Russian army stated at the end of November that they had captured the city, which they occupied in 2022 before Ukrainian forces retook the city that fall.
Russia has claimed in recent months that it has made major advances on the front, but Kiev has dismissed the claims as an attempt to influence peace talks and make it appear that Ukraine is close to collapse.
