Putin claims Russian troops have surrounded 2 Ukrainian cities however Ukraine says that is not true

Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed on Wednesday (October 30, 2025) that Russian troops have surrounded Ukrainian forces in two key japanese cities of Ukraine and provided to barter a deal for his or her give up. Ukrainian army officers vigorously denied the declare.

Mr. Putin, talking at a gathering with wounded troopers at a Moscow army hospital, advised that the Russian army was able to open protected corridors for Ukrainian and Western journalists to “allow them to see with their very own eyes what is going on on.”

He claimed Ukrainian troops are encircled in Pokrovsk, a key Ukrainian stronghold within the japanese Donetsk area, and in Kupiansk, an necessary rail junction within the northeastern Kharkiv area.

Russia has not too long ago been pushing its vital benefit in troops and weapons at key factors alongside the round 1,000-km entrance line, nearly 4 years after it invaded its neighbour.

But the Ukrainian armed forces mentioned claims of Kupiansk being surrounded are “fabrications and fantasies”, whereas the spokesman for Ukraine’s japanese forces, Hryhorii Shapoval, instructed The Associated Press that the scenario in Pokrovsk is “exhausting however underneath management.”

The Ukrainian Army’s seventh Rapid Reaction Corps, which is defending Pokrovsk, mentioned Russia had deployed some 11,000 troops in a bid to encircle town. Some Russian items had managed to infiltrate Pokrovsk, it acknowledged in a social media publish.

Russian officers have previously made claims about capturing Ukrainian strongholds which have turned out to not be true. Independent verification of the claims was not potential.

Putin’s feedback coincided along with his diplomatic efforts to influence the United States, which is searching for a peace deal to finish the conflict, that supporting Ukraine is pointless as a result of it might’t maintain out in opposition to Russian army superiority. He has additionally careworn what he says is Russia’s bettering nuclear functionality as he refuses to budge from his conflict goals.

Putin on Wednesday indicated that Russia is open for a deal for the Ukrainian troops within the two cities to give up. A media go to to the areas would enable reporters to see “the situation the encircled Ukrainian troops are there in order that Ukraine’s political management may make the related selections relating to the destiny of their residents,” he mentioned.

Small teams of Russian troopers are participating in house-to-house battles in each Kupiansk and Pokrovsk, Ukrainian officers and Russian conflict bloggers have mentioned, whereas artillery and drones goal roads. The Ukrainian army is more and more counting on drones to provide troops.

The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington assume tank, mentioned late Tuesday that Russian forces had superior within the Pokrovsk space however “nearly definitely don’t at the moment management any positions inside the metropolis of Pokrovsk itself.” It added that the advances “are unlikely to trigger a direct collapse of the Ukrainian pocket within the Pokrovsk course.” Asked in regards to the scenario in Kupiansk, the spokesman of Ukraine’s Joint Forces Task Force, Viktor Trehubov, mentioned Putin’s declare doesn’t match the fact on the bottom. “To put it merely, there isn’t a encirclement,” Trehubov instructed The AP.

Russian forces have been attempting for greater than a 12 months to take Pokrovsk, which Ukraine stopped utilizing as a logistical hub within the area as Russia piled on the stress on the finish of final 12 months. The metropolis, which was residence to round 60,000 individuals earlier than the conflict, is essentially in ruins.

Meanwhile, Ukraine has saved up its long-range drone and missile assaults on Russian rear areas in an effort to disrupt logistics by placing oil refineries and manufacturing crops.

Russia’s Defence Ministry mentioned that air defenses downed 100 Ukrainian drones over 5 areas in a single day, with 13 airports, together with three within the Moscow area, briefly suspending flights due to the assault.

Russia, within the meantime, continued its marketing campaign in opposition to Ukraine’s energy grid and civilian infrastructure in a minimum of six areas. At least 13 individuals, together with a nine-year-old, had been injured, officers mentioned.

The Ukrainian air power mentioned Russia fired 126 strike and decoy drones in a single day. (AP) RHL RHL