“Heavy fighting is taking place in Kupiansk and the surrounding area, and the occupier's soldiers are trying to strengthen themselves in the northern part of the city. However, any claims about the encirclement of Ukrainian troops there are inventions and fantasy, not supported by any actual data from the field,” says the statement issued on Wednesday.
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What are Vladimir Putin's claims regarding the state of war?
What did the Grouping of the Combined Armed Forces of Ukraine say about the encirclement?
What are the opinions of independent analysts about Putin's words?
What cities were mentioned in the context of the fighting in Ukraine?
“If Russian dictator Vladimir Putin were not a war criminal, it would be regrettable that in his old age he once again has to expose himself to ridicule and repeat lies after his own generals, which not even his loyal audience or Russian elites will believe,” stressed the command of the Ukrainian Joint Forces.
Analysts do not confirm Putin's words
Earlier on Wednesday, Putin said that the situation in the war zone in Ukraine was “favorable” for the Russian side. “In two places, in the city of Kupyansk and the city of Krasnoarmeysk [obecnie Pokrowsk]the opponent has been blocked, he is surrounded,” he said, quoted by TASS.
The encirclement of Ukrainian forces in Kupyansk in the Kharkiv Oblast and in Pokrovsk in the Donetsk Oblast is not confirmed by independent analysts. According to DeepState project maps, the Russians control a small part of Pokrovsk on the southern outskirts of the city. The situation is similar in Kupiansk, where Putin's troops are attacking from the north.
