He explained that the defense forces are clearing Kupyansk from the occupying forces of the aggressor country of the Russian Federation.
“We will clear everything out. We know, in principle, the dates have been determined. They were at headquarters. We will not share such information for now,” Zelensky said.
Informing about the situation at the front as a whole, the President of Ukraine said that there were no changes in the Liman and Kramatorsk directions.
In the Dobropol direction, the situation is difficult; the Russians are preparing “revenge” there, Zelensky noted.
“Approximately 30% of all combat operations at the front take place in Pokrovsk. Moreover, 50% of all KAB uses go to Pokrovsk. You understand how difficult it is for us. There are from 260 to 300 Russians in Pokrovsk,” he said.
Context
On October 22, the Russian publication “Verstka” wrote that the command of the Russian army had already promised the illegitimate Russian President Vladimir Putin the capture of Kupyansk and Pokrovsk, therefore, in order to improve the position of the occupying forces, Moscow is delaying the peace negotiation process.
On October 26, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov reported to Putin about the alleged cordon of Ukrainian troops near Kupyansk and Pokrovsk. President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky, Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Igor Klimenko, and subsequently Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Alexander Syrsky denied the Russian information.
On October 29, Putin repeated Gerasimov’s words about the allegedly large-scale encirclement of Ukrainian defense forces in Kupyansk and Pokrovsk. He invited the media to verify this by coming to the front. The Joint Forces Group of the Ukrainian Armed Forces noted that with these statements Putin exposes himself to ridicule.
