Drone battle in the sky as Ukrainian soldiers surround Russians in Kupiansk

Since the beginning of the war, the fiercest battle has been in the skies, not on the ground.

Some Russian troops remained in the center of the town of Kupiansk in Ukraine's Kharkiv region, a drone pilot told Reuters at a shelter.

Reuters footage from up close in Kupiansk was reviewed by the Ukrainian military as part of a reporting trip. The review process delayed the release of the footage, A2 writes.

The drone pilot, Yevhen, who gave only his first name, launched a first-person attack drone from near the town. He said fighting continued on the outskirts of the town. A Ukrainian military spokesman told national television that a Russian force of 100-200 troops remained surrounded in Kupiansk.

Ukrainian open-source mapping project Deepstate on Monday marked parts of the city center as occupied by Russia. With U.S.-backed peace efforts underway, Moscow has said it is making progress on all fronts and has captured Kupiansk and the strategic town of Pokrovsk to the east.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said earlier he visited the frontline town of Kupiansk in eastern Ukraine, adding that military achievements would help Kiev's diplomatic efforts.