Zelenskyy pushes back on Russian claims about encirclement in Pokrovsk
Photo: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Office of the President)
Ukrainian forces are holding positions in Pokrovsk. As of today, the situation in the city is difficult, says Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at a briefing for journalists.
The president noted that Ukrainian troops in Pokrovsk are not encircled. The situation in this direction remains difficult but controlled.
“There is no encirclement of our fighters in Pokrovsk, the situation is difficult but controlled,” Zelenskyy emphasized.
Frontline situation
Last week, Russian president Vladimir Putin held a meeting at the command post of the combined forces, where he was assured that Ukrainian troops had allegedly been encircled in some areas, namely in the Pokrovsk and Kupiansk directions.
On the same day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy denied these claims, calling them complete lies. On October 28, the Armed Forces of Ukraine also officially refuted Russia’s report of the Kupiansk encirclement.
On Wednesday, October 29, Putin again claimed that Kupiansk was allegedly encircled. He expressed his desire to invite foreign journalists to the city so they could see everything firsthand.
Later that evening, Ukrainian forces reported heavy fighting in Kupiansk and its surroundings. They described Russian claims of the alleged encirclement as fiction and fantasy.
Yesterday, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi responded to Russia’s statements about the blockade of Pokrovsk and Kupiansk.
Russian losses
Ukrainian soldiers continue to inflict significant losses on enemy troops and equipment, actively undermining the enemy’s offensive potential in the rear.
Overall, Russian troops lost nearly a thousand personnel in the past 24 hours.
Ukrainian forces also destroyed a significant amount of enemy equipment.
