A woman trapped in war-torn Kupiansk was rescued with the help of a ground robot after contacting Ukrainian police for urgent assistance, according to the special purpose police regiment in Kharkiv Oblast. She was safely evacuated from the city, where pockets of Russian soldiers are still hiding among the ruins.
Woman evacuated from Kupiansk with help of police land drone
Ukrainian police used a ground robotic system (NRK) to rescue a woman who was stranded in Kupiansk and unable to escape on her own. According to the special purpose police regiment of the National Police in Kharkiv Oblast, the woman made a call for help under dire conditions. The connection was barely functional, but she managed to alert authorities that she could not leave the area on her own and needed immediate assistance.
To carry out the operation safely, police deployed a ground drone. The robot reached the woman and transported her to a secured location, where a police unit picked her up and took her to a safer area.
The police praised the coordinated work of the robot operator and the rescue crew, stressing that their special purpose regiment continues to conduct evacuation missions in the areas that need them most.
Kupiansk remains dangerous despite major gains
In mid-December 2025, following a months-long operation, Ukraine’s Defense Forces encircled the last remnants of Russian occupying forces in Kupiansk. In September 2025, when the situation in the city had become critical, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine formed a search-and-strike group called Khartiia.
The goal of the group was to eliminate the enemy breakthrough north of Kupiansk, surround Russian troops who had entered the city, and fully liberate the area. After heavy fighting, the 13th brigade of the National Guard fully liberated the village of Radkivka and its outskirts, as well as surrounding forests. Following this, Defense Forces units began clearing operations inside Kupiansk.
As of early January 2026, Ukrainian military assessments indicated that a few dozen Russian soldiers remained in the city, hiding in basements and ruined buildings.
