More than 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been surrounded by Russian troops in the Kupyansk and Krasnoarmeysk regions, according to a report to President Vladimir Putin during a visit to the Russian military command on October 26.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Mr. Putin had a meeting with the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, General Valery Gerasimov and senior commanders to listen to reports on the situation along the front line.
There are about 5,000 Ukrainian soldiers surrounded in the Kupyansk direction and about 5,500 in the Krasnoarmeysk direction, Peskov said.
Kupyansk is a city in the Kharkov region of Ukraine, about 100km east of the provincial center, while Krasnoarmeysk is located in Donetsk.
The Russian military reported that it had taken control of an Oskol River crossing, cutting off the Ukrainian military's supply route. Russian forces are also completing control of Yampol, while Volchansk has controlled about 70%.
A total of 31 Ukrainian battalions were surrounded in the Krasnoarmeysk and Dimitrov regions. Mr. Peskov said that Mr. Putin congratulated the soldiers on the victory in Kupyansk and their fighting achievements on other fronts.
During the meeting, Mr. Putin ordered the implementation of measures to pressure the Ukrainian army to surrender and reduce casualties, while emphasizing that the Russian army always shows humanity to the opponent and that "must be maintained".
The Russian leader also asked the armed forces to continue the campaign according to the plan of the General Staff, and affirmed that ensuring the safety of Russian soldiers must be a top priority.
