Bulletproof vest, bold message: Zelenskyy stuns Russia with Kupiansk visit

Standing near the frontlines, Zelensky recorded and shared a video of his visit on X, where he was seen wearing a bulletproof vest.

“Today, I am in the Kupiansk sector, with our warriors who are getting the job done for Ukraine here,” Zelensky wrote.
“The Russians kept going on about Kupiansk – the reality speaks for itself. I visited our troops and congratulated them. Thank you to each and every warrior! I am proud of you! And I thank all of our Land Forces – today is your day!”

The visit comes as Ukraine faces a harsh winter under fire. With temperatures dropping below freezing and prolonged daily power outages gripping several cities, civilians are bracing for renewed hardship. United Nations officials have warned that intensified attacks on energy infrastructure, combined with shrinking humanitarian aid budgets, are exacting a heavy toll.

Briefing the UN Security Council, Kayoko Gotoh, Director of the Europe and Central Asia Division at the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, said 2025 has been one of the deadliest years for civilians since Russia launched its full-scale invasion nearly four years ago.

Between January and November, civilian casualties were 24 per cent higher than during the same period last year, she noted, as Russian aerial attacks escalated across the country. Russian local authorities have also reported civilian casualties resulting from Ukrainian strikes.

Gotoh stressed that attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure are prohibited under international law. “No matter where they occur, they are unacceptable and must stop,” she said.

Civilians under attack

Recent missile and drone strikes have repeatedly targeted Ukraine’s energy and transport systems across multiple regions. On the night of December 5–6 alone, dozens of civilians were injured and hundreds of thousands were left without electricity and basic utilities following large-scale attacks in ten regions.

Since February 2022, the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) has verified at least 14,775 civilian deaths, including 755 children, with another 39,322 people injured. The actual toll is believed to be significantly higher.

Attacks in the Black Sea region have also intensified. Ukrainian forces reportedly struck Russian oil tankers and the Azov Sea port of Temryuk, while Russian forces launched attacks on the Ukrainian port city of Odesa.