Ukrainian battlefield success denies Russia a key city as a bargaining chip
As Russian soldiers try to infiltrate Kupyansk through a gas pipeline, Ukrainian forces are waiting for them. January 19, 2026 at 5:00 a.m. EST Heavy snowfall in Ukraine has made for difficult conditions on the front line. In the Kharkiv region, Ukrainian soldiers have seen how Russian troops are wearing white camouflage to try to blend in. They are also seeking warmth and shelter, which can give away their positions. (Siobhán O'Grady/The Washington Post) By Siobhán O'Grady and Anastacia Galouchka, The Washington Pest [Pardon the typo; but it reflects a reader's evaluation of the news as pretesented] KHARKIV REGION, Ukraine — A plume of smoke gave the Russian soldier away. Ukrainian troops had killed the rest of his crew several hours earlier, bombing them from drones as they crawled out of a defunct gas pipeline in Kupyansk, searching for a way into the center of this battleground city in northeastern Ukraine that Russia falsely claims to control. 7 By early afternoon, p...