Yurchyshyn: Putin's words about his readiness to allow media into supposedly encircled Kupyansk and Pokrovsk - part of propaganda
Yaroslav Yurchyshyn, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Freedom of Speech (Holos faction), considers Kremlin Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's statement about the alleged encirclement of Ukrainian defenders in Kupyansk and Pokrovsk by Russian army forces, as well as his willingness to allow media representatives, particularly Ukrainian ones, to enter, to be manipulative.
"Like most of what Putin says about the situation on the front, it's not a description of the real situation, but manipulation. Therefore, we should await the position of the official Ukrainian authorities, primarily the General Staff. As far as I know, the situation in Pokrovsk and Kupyansk areas is complex and far removed from what the Russian dictator is saying. His words fit neatly into a propaganda pattern: talk about the Russian army's success, promise to demonstrate it, and either accuse Ukraine of breaking agreements, or try to fake a demonstration using pro-Russian media and bloggers from Western countries. Therefore, I urge you to wait for the Ukrainian government's position," Yurchyshyn told Interfax-Ukraine on Wednesday.
Earlier on Wednesday, Vladimir Putin stated that the Russian Armed Forces are ready to allow media representatives, including Ukrainian and foreign ones, into the alleged "encirclement zones" of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. "We are ready to cease hostilities for a certain period of time, for several hours—two, three, six hours—so that a group of journalists can enter, see what's happening, talk to Ukrainian servicemen, and then leave," Putin said, as quoted by Russian media.
Putin claims that Ukrainian troops are blocked in two places: Kupyansk and Pokrovsk.