Camilla Jessen
The Russian president claims Ukrainian forces are surrendering in Kupiansk and Pokrovsk.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday called on Ukrainian troops encircled in Kupiansk and Pokrovsk to surrender, saying Moscow is willing to declare a temporary ceasefire to allow journalists into the conflict zone.
Speaking at a televised meeting with wounded soldiers at the Central Military Hospital in Moscow, Putin said Russian forces are prepared to pause operations in key sectors of the front for several hours so reporters can “see what is happening, talk to Ukrainian soldiers and then leave.”
“We are ready to cease military operations for a certain period of time: for a few hours, two, three or six hours,” Putin said. as cited by Digi24.
“It is important to avoid provocations from the Ukrainian side. We don’t want a drone to fly, a journalist to be injured and then they try to blame us for what happened. We don’t need that.”
Russia claims surrenders in Kupiansk
According to a statement from the Russian Defense Ministry, a group of 12 Ukrainian soldiers in Kupiansk have expressed a willingness to surrender and are currently awaiting guarantees for safe evacuation.
The Kremlin claims this is the first sign of capitulation in the towns of Kupiansk (Kharkiv region) and Pokrovsk (Donetsk region), where Russian forces are currently focusing their Donbas offensive.
Putin compared the situation to the 2022 siege of Azovstal in Mariupol, urging Ukrainian leadership to “make the appropriate decision regarding the fate of citizens and military personnel.”
On Sunday, Russian Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov told Putin that around 50 Ukrainian battalions—roughly 10,500 soldiers—had been surrounded in the two cities.
Experts question Moscow’s claims
However, several Russian military bloggers and the Institute for the Study of War, a U.S.-based think tank, have questioned the accuracy of Russia’s encirclement claims.
Independent verification remains limited, and Ukrainian officials have not confirmed any large-scale surrenders.
Despite Putin’s remarks, Ukrainian forces continue to defend both cities, which remain critical to supply lines and resistance efforts in eastern Ukraine.
This article is made and published by Camilla Jessen, who may have used AI in the preparation
