Zelenskyy: Putin is lying about Ukrainian troops being surrounded

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has dismissed claims from Russian President Vladimir Putin that Ukrainian forces are encircled, calling them outright lies. He emphasized that Ukraine’s military command is fully aware of Russian troop movements and their intentions along the Kursk front.

“I’m grateful that our intelligence data aligned today and we discussed that the Ukrainian side has a presence in Kursk Oblast, that reports of Ukrainian troops being encircled are Putin’s lies. Ukrainian troops are not surrounded in Kursk Oblast,” Zelenskyy said during a briefing, as reported by Ukrinform.

Zelenskyy stated that Russia is attempting to encircle Ukrainian forces on Ukrainian soil along the Kursk front. However, he assured that Ukraine’s military leadership is prepared.

“I believe that the Russian side wants to surround Ukrainian troops on the same [Kursk] front but on Ukrainian territory. Importantly, our troops and command are fully aware of this, and we have a clear understanding of where they intend to do it. Their goal is to establish a stronger presence on Ukrainian soil, which is nothing new,” he added.

Zelenskyy urged Ukraine’s international partners to verify the situation using intelligence and satellite imagery, making it clear that Russia’s actions do not indicate any desire for peace.

“Again, I do not want to argue with any of the partners or colleagues. They have intelligence. They have satellites. Let them see where Russian troops are currently concentrated and where they are headed. That is a crucial point. Then it will be evident why. That is, there is no indication of peace in these steps,” he said.