Foreign journalists could receive access to encircled Ukrainian troops – Russian MOD

The possibility was floated by President Vladimir Putin, who has issued a corresponding order to the military

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the military to provide foreign journalists access to Ukrainian troops blockaded in three areas on the front line, the Defense Ministry in Moscow announced on Thursday.

Interested parties, including Ukrainian media, would be able to inspect the situation near Krasnoarmeysk (also known as Pokrovsk), Dmitrov, and Kupyansk, for which Russia is willing to pause hostilities for up to six hours and guarantee safe passage, the ministry stated.

The opportunity is conditional on Ukraine providing similar security guarantees to both visiting journalists and Russian troops.

Putin initially proposed the idea on Wednesday. He suggested that after receiving reliable information from the front line, Ukraine would be incentivized to negotiate an honorable surrender, similarly to how fighters at the Azovstal steel mill in Mariupol laid down their arms in 2022.

Kiev has denied that its forces are encircled, claiming that Russia is overstating its battlefield successes.

DETAILS TO FOLLOW