MOSCOW, December 17. /TASS/. Artillery crews of Russia’s Battlegroup West have thwarted attempts by the Ukrainian armed forces to approach the liberated city of Kupyansk, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.

"Artillery crews of the 121st Motorized Rifle Regiment of Battlegroup West, operating in the Kupyansk direction in the Kharkov Region, prevented the movement of Ukrainian troops attempting to approach the region’s settlements of Moskovka, Radkovka and Sobolevka," the ministry said.

During aerial reconnaissance, UAV operators of unmanned systems forces detected small groups of Ukrainian armed forces moving to liberated Kupyansk. A Msta-S self-propelled gun crew, receiving the command, moved to a firing position. Target aiming and spotting was carried out with the help of a recon drone. Airborne observation posts and mobile air defense teams ensured combat safety of the self-propelled guns.

According to the 121st Motorized Rifle Regiment's artillery commander, call sign Brix, the regiment's artillery units' primary mission is to isolate the combat zone. "We are destroying the enemy troops at distant approaches, preventing them from approaching our positions. Our unit continues to hold fast its ground in Moskovka, Sobolevka, and Radkovka, and we are supporting them with all available means," he said in a video provided by the Russian Defense Ministry.