Putin Claims Russian Forces Encircle Two Key Ukrainian Cities; Kyiv Dismisses as “Fabrications”
Kyiv: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday asserted that Russian troops have surrounded Ukrainian forces in two major eastern cities — Pokrovsk and Kupiansk — and offered to negotiate their surrender. Ukrainian officials, however, firmly rejected the claim as false.
Speaking at a meeting with wounded soldiers in a Moscow military hospital, Putin said Russia was ready to open “safe corridors” for Ukrainian and Western journalists to visit the frontlines and “see with their own eyes what’s going on.” He alleged that Ukrainian troops were encircled in Pokrovsk, a strategic city in the Donetsk region, and in Kupiansk, a key railway hub in the Kharkiv region.
Russia has been using its advantage in manpower and weaponry to intensify pressure along the 1,000-kilometre front line — nearly four years after launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Ukraine’s military, however, dismissed Putin’s claims. The Armed Forces of Ukraine called reports of Kupiansk’s encirclement “fabrications and fantasies.” Hryhorii Shapoval, spokesman for Ukraine’s eastern forces, told the Associated Press that while the situation in Pokrovsk is “difficult,” it remains “under control.”
The Ukrainian Army’s 7th Rapid Reaction Corps, currently defending Pokrovsk, reported that Russia had deployed about 11,000 troops in an attempt to encircle the city. It acknowledged that some Russian units had infiltrated parts of Pokrovsk but emphasized that defensive operations were ongoing.
Russian officials have previously made premature claims of capturing Ukrainian strongholds, many of which were later disproved. Independent verification of the latest statements remains impossible.
Putin’s remarks come amid renewed diplomatic efforts aimed at convincing the United States and its allies that Ukraine cannot withstand Russia’s military might. He also highlighted Russia’s “enhanced nuclear capabilities,” reiterating that Moscow would not alter its war objectives.
The Russian leader said Moscow was “open to a deal” allowing Ukrainian troops in the two contested cities to surrender, suggesting journalists could be allowed to witness their situation firsthand.
Reports from both sides indicate intense urban fighting in Kupiansk and Pokrovsk, with Russian and Ukrainian forces engaging in house-to-house combat as artillery and drones strike key routes. Ukrainian units have increasingly relied on drones to deliver supplies to frontline troops.
According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a Washington-based think tank, Russian forces have made advances near Pokrovsk but “almost certainly do not control any positions within the city itself.” The ISW assessed that the progress “is unlikely to cause an immediate collapse” of Ukrainian defenses.
Viktor Trehubov, spokesman for Ukraine’s Joint Forces Task Force, dismissed Putin’s version of events in Kupiansk, saying simply: “There is no encirclement.”
Russian troops have been trying to seize Pokrovsk for over a year. Once a major logistical hub with a prewar population of 60,000, the city now lies largely in ruins as heavy shelling continues.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has maintained long-range drone and missile strikes on Russian targets, focusing on disrupting supply lines and damaging oil and manufacturing infrastructure.
Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed that its air defenses intercepted 100 Ukrainian drones overnight across five regions. The attacks caused temporary flight suspensions at 13 airports, including three around Moscow.
In retaliation, Russia continued its assaults on Ukraine’s power grid and civilian infrastructure in at least six regions, wounding 13 people, including a nine-year-old child, according to Ukrainian officials. The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia launched 126 strike and decoy drones in a single night.
