Russia Offers Media Access to Encircled Frontline Areas With Temporary Ceasefires

Overview

• The Russian Defence Ministry said it received President Vladimir Putin’s order to ensure unimpeded passage for foreign and Ukrainian journalists to Kupyansk, Krasnoarmeysk (Pokrovsk) and Dimitrov.
• The military said it could pause hostilities for five to six hours and provide entry and exit corridors for media groups, contingent on security guarantees for reporters and Russian personnel.
• Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry warned that visits to the encircled areas would be treated as unlawful and could carry long-term consequences for those involved.
• Russian officials claim thousands of Ukrainian troops are surrounded in these sectors, and state TV has shown drones dropping leaflets urging them to surrender.
• There is no independent confirmation that foreign media have undertaken such escorted trips, and some analysts caution that reporters could face staged provocations during any pause.