More than 10,000 Ukrainian troops encircled – Russian military

Around 10,000 Ukrainian troops have been encircled by Russian forces in the Kupyansk and Krasnoarmeysk areas, President Vladimir Putin was told on Sunday during a visit to a Russian Army command post.

According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Putin held a meeting with Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov and senior military commanders, during which he was briefed on the situation along the line of contact.

“It was noted that up to 5,000 Ukrainian troops are encircled in the Kupyansk direction and around 5,500 in the Krasnoarmeysk direction,” Peskov said.

Kupyansk is a city in Ukraine’s Kharkov Region, around 100km east of Kharkov. Krasnoarmeysk is located in Russia’s Donetsk People’s Republic, currently occupied by Ukrainian troops.

The military reported that Russian forces also captured a crossing over the Oskol River, cutting off the movement of Ukrainian troops. They are currently completing the liberation of Yampol, while nearby Volchansk is said to be 70% liberated.

A total of 31 Ukrainian battalions have been encircled in the Krasnoarmeysk and Dimitrov areas. According to Peskov, Putin congratulated the troops on their success in Kupyansk and the achievements of combat missions in other areas.

During the meeting, Putin ordered measures to ensure the surrender of the encircled Ukrainian troops and to minimize casualties. He noted that the Russian Army has always shown mercy toward its enemies and stressed that this must continue.

The president also urged the commanders to “do everything” in their power to ensure the safety of the civilian population in the encircled areas, who he said Ukrainian forces are using as human shields.

Putin also urged the army to continue the military operation “in accordance with the plan developed by the General Staff,” stressing that the safety of Russian service members must remain the top priority.