Overview
- Putin said Russian troops have surrounded Ukrainian units in Pokrovsk and Kupiansk and offered to negotiate their surrender, proposing short pauses to allow media access.
- Ukraine’s military called the Kupiansk claim false and described Pokrovsk as difficult but under control, with officials reporting house‑to‑house fighting and heavy use of drones for resupply.
- The Ukrainian 7th Rapid Response Corps estimated Russia deployed about 11,000 troops to encircle Pokrovsk and acknowledged limited Russian infiltration on the city’s edges.
- The Institute for the Study of War assessed recent Russian gains around Pokrovsk but said Russia almost certainly does not hold positions inside the city or face an imminent Ukrainian collapse.
- Russia’s Defense Ministry reported initial local surrenders near Kupiansk and advances outside Pokrovsk, which could not be independently verified, as Kremlin‑U.S. contacts were paused and the White House rolled out new sanctions on Russian oil firms following the deadly strike on a Kharkiv daycare.