Russia claims Ukrainian troops blocked in three cities, offers 'media ceasefire'
Russia's Defense Ministry claimed that President Vladimir Putin ordered his troops to allow foreign and Ukrainian journalists unhindered access to areas in Pokrovsk, Myrnohrad and Kupyansk, where Moscow claims Ukrainian forces are blocked, with a potential 5-6 hour halt in fighting.
Later, the spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Heorhii Tykhyi, responded to these statements.
"I saw firsthand how such proposals play out—on August 29, 2014, in Ilovaysk," he said. "Putin's only goal is to prolong the war. And he has never kept any of his ceasefire pledges. Do not assist him in justifying his crimes through Russian provocations against journalists."
Tykhyi added that any visits to Russian-occupied territory without Ukraine's permission violate Ukrainian law and international law, carrying long-term reputational and legal consequences.
Situation near Pokrovsk and Kupyansk
The day before, Putin claimed Ukrainian troops were encircled in Kupyansk in Kharkiv Oblast. The Joint Forces Operation denied this, noting heavy fighting in and around the city, with Russian forces trying to entrench in the northern part.
Meanwhile, Russian troops are ramping up activity in the Pokrovsk-Myrnohrad agglomeration in Donetsk Oblast. But there is no blockade of forces there, Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said.
In Pokrovsk, Russian infantry avoids direct clashes, accumulating in urban buildings and changing locations. The priority is to detect and destroy them, the army chief said.
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