Ukraine says it retakes parts of Kupiansk, encircling Russian troops

KYIV, Dec ‌12 (Reuters) - Ukrainian forces have retaken parts of the northeastern ‍town of ‌Kupiansk and several villages around it in an operation that encircled ⁠Russian troops, a Ukrainian ‌military commander said on Friday.

The Russian military said in November that it had taken full control of Kupiansk. Ukraine denied the city had changed hands ⁠and fighting continued there.

Reuters could not immediately verify the battlefield reports.

"Today, we can say ​that the Russians in the city are ‌completely cut off. For a long ⁠time, they couldn't understand what was happening. But now they know they are surrounded," Ihor Obolienskyi, commander of the Khartiia Corps ​of the National Guard, was quoted by the Ukrainska Pravda news outlet.

Russian supply routes had been cut off and several hundred Russian troops surrounded, Khartiia said on the Telegram messenger.

Russia, which began ​its full-scale ‍invasion of Ukrainein February ​2022, did not immediately comment.

With U.S.-backed peace efforts under way, Moscow has said it is advancing on all fronts. Moscow says its troops have also seized the strategic city of Pokrovsk in the east but Kyiv has denied this, saying fighting continues.

On Thursday, Russia ⁠said it had captured the eastern town of Siversk. Kyiv says it is under Ukrainian control.

Ukraine's Deep ​State battlefield mapping project now shows at least three villages to the north and west of Kupiansk under Ukraine's control.

Kupiansk's northern districts are shown as also under Ukrainian ‌control and the map suggests Russian troops are encircled in the city centre.

(Reporting by Yuliia Dysa; Editing by Alison Williams and Timothy Heritage)