Referring to these soldiers, Putin stated that the 30-day ceasefire benefits Ukraine and has no advantage for Russia. He has openly opposed the ceasefire.
Russia claims that its forces have infiltrated the Sudzha region of Kursk using a 1.4-diameter gas pipeline, surrounding Ukrainian troops.
During a press conference, Putin declared: “These soldiers must surrender or be killed.”
Meanwhile, Donald Trump wrote on his social media platform “Truth Social”:
“At this moment, thousands of Ukrainian soldiers are completely surrounded by Russia and are in a dire situation.”
Trump further wrote:
“I have asked Putin not to harm these soldiers. This could turn into a massacre, something that has not been seen since World War II.”
Following Trump’s remarks, Putin, in a meeting with Russia’s Security Council, stated that for his request to be fulfilled, Ukraine must instruct its soldiers to lay down their weapons and surrender.
On the other hand, the Ukrainian military has dismissed these claims, calling them a manipulative tactic aimed at pressuring Ukraine and its allies.
The Ukrainian army stated that its forces have tactically retreated for better defense and that there is no risk of encirclement.
