# Russia says Ukrainian soldiers in Pokrovsk and Kupiansk are encircled and should surrender, as they have no chance of survival. Russia has been trying to capture Pokrovsk since last year as part of an attempt to take the whole of the Donbas region. Ukrainian forces still control about ten-percent of the region – about five-thousand square kilometres. Russia’s Defence Ministry directly contradicted Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky’s statement on Monday that Ukrainian forces were trying to clear what he said were just 60 Russian soldiers in Kupiansk.
Russia says Ukrainian soldiers in two encircled cities should surrender to save themselves