"Russian forces have completely surrounded the embattled Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk and control 70 percent of it, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said. Putin also said that once Ukrainian troops withdraw from their positions in key areas, then the fighting will stop. But if they do not, then Russian forces will achieve their objectives by force. The Russian president added that the pace of Russia's advance in all directions on the front line was noticeably increasing."
"Oleksandr Syrskii, Ukraine's top commander, painted a different picture, saying on social media that Ukrainian troops had been blocking attempts by Russian forces to stage new assaults on Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad. Syrskii also said that Russia had been forced to bring reserve forces into the fight. Russia's air defences shot down 118 Ukrainian drones overnight, including 52 over Russia's Belgorod region bordering Ukraine, the Ministry of Defence in Moscow said."
"Putin said that the draft peace proposals discussed by the US and Ukraine could become the basis of future agreements to end Moscow's war on Ukraine, but if not, that Russia would fight on. Putin also called the Ukrainian leadership illegitimate and said it was senseless to sign any peace documents with them. The Russian president said the Ukrainian leadership lost legitimacy after refusing to hold elections when Zelenskyy's elected term expired."
Russian forces have surrounded the Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk and claim control of 70 percent, with Moscow saying advances are accelerating. Ukrainian commanders report blocking new Russian assaults on Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad and say Russia has committed reserves. Russian air defenses reported shooting down 118 Ukrainian drones overnight, including 52 over Belgorod region. Ukrainian delegations will meet US counterparts to work on a Geneva-discussed formula for peace and security guarantees. Putin said draft proposals could form a basis for agreements but ruled out talks with what he called illegitimate Ukrainian leadership. Kyiv says it cannot hold elections under martial law and rejects ceding territory.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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