Trump envoy lands in Russia as Putin hails ‘important’ capture of Pokrovsk, although claim is disputed by Kyiv
Trump envoy lands in Russia as Putin hails ‘important’ capture of Pokrovsk, although claim is disputed by Kyiv
Vladimir Putin has claimed Russian forces have taken control of the strategic city of Pokrovsk in Ukraine, as he sought to project confidence before a key meeting on Tuesday with a US delegation to discuss a possible peace deal to end the war.
Dressed in military fatigues during a visit to a command centre on Monday evening, the Russian president hailed what he called the “important” capture of Pokrovsk – once a major logistical hub for the Ukrainian army – though Ukrainian officials later disputed the claim.
“I want to thank you. This is an important direction. We all understand just how important,” Putin told his top brass in a video released by the Kremlin. “It will ensure solutions going forward to the tasks that we initially set at the beginning of the special military operation,” he added, using the Kremlin’s preferred term for its nearly four-year invasion.
Ukraine’s military on Tuesday denied Pokrovsk had fallen, saying its forces remained in control of the northern part of the city.
Speaking in Paris alongside the French president, Emmanuel Macron, Ukraine’s president, Volodomyr Zelenskyy, acknowledged that Russia had made “some advances and carried out several offensive actions and operations”, but stressed that “none of these operations has been successful”.
