Kremlin Says Journalist Visits to Encirclement Areas Halted After Kyiv Rejects Proposal

Overview

• Dmitry Peskov said the Kremlin is aware of many Western journalists seeking to visit areas encircling Ukrainian troops and is unaware of any Ukrainian applicants.
• Peskov stated the trips cannot proceed at present because Kyiv has completely rejected the proposal.
• President Vladimir Putin previously said Russia was ready to admit foreign, including Ukrainian, media into the encirclement zones with fighting paused during their presence.
• Russia’s Defense Ministry said it had orders to provide unhindered passage for media to Krasnoarmeysk, Dimitrov and Kupyansk with 5–6 hour ceasefire corridors.
• A Ukrainian Foreign Ministry representative, Georgiy Tikhiy, said Kyiv would consider such visits by foreign reporters a violation of Ukrainian law.