"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."
Vladimir Putin declared that Russian forces had taken control of Pokrovsk and presented the capture as an important advance during a visit to a command centre. Ukrainian officials denied the city had fallen, stating their forces remained in control of the northern sector. Volodymyr Zelenskyy acknowledged Russian advances but asserted none of the operations had been successful. Russia spent over a year attempting to seize the frontline hub near Donetsk and suffered heavy losses. Analysts and military bloggers reported that Russia now holds most of Pokrovsk based on battlefield maps. Putin’s appearance occurred ahead of talks with a US delegation led by Steve Witkoff, accompanied by Jared Kushner, after their discussions with Ukrainian officials in Florida about a possible negotiated settlement.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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