In the conference room of the Russian General Staff, the atmosphere was unprecedentedly serious. Chief of General Staff Gerasimov spread out his hands in front of the map and reported to Putin: "The Central Military District has successfully encircled 31 battalion-level units of the Ukrainian army." Putin nodded slightly and further disclosed details to reporters in the afternoon: about 5,000 Ukrainian troops in the direction of Kupyansk, about 5,500 in the direction of Pokrovsk, and a total of more than 10,000 people were compressed in two "pockets". He added in a calm tone: "We will ensure the safety of the lives of the surrendered soldiers."
The Russian media quickly packaged the passage as a “humanitarian appeal” and accompanied by a drone shot of the “circle” – a gray arrow pointing to two red circles from all sides.
However, Kiev’s response came almost at the same time.Zelensky was interviewed on his trip to Northern Europe and laughed: “This is the script again. One year ago they said that Pokrovsk was besieged, and now they are still saying. This is not a military report, it is a lie written to Trump,” he said, adding: “If there are really 10,000 soldiers besieged, why are the Russians still fighting with us in the city?”
Why was Zelensky so discouraged? The details of the war were quickly gathered from the front line. The Ukrainian 7th Army Airborne Regiment conducted a partial counterattack at the center of Pokrovsk, clearing the Russian invaders, but withdrew to the western highlands as a whole. The Ukrainian Army that Russian infantry casualties increased by 30%, and the use of crossing drones expanded the "killing zone" to 10 kilometers, but the human shortage led to the impossibility of mass counterattack.
At the Dubrovnik outpost north of Pokrovsk, the Ukrainian 59th Brigade was slowly advancing from the west to Pankivka. The remains of the Russian army were crushed into a narrow passage of only one kilometre to try to break into the village of Shahov, but the supply fleet has been blocked by Ukrainian artillery for two days in a row.
The ownership of the town of Roginsik is even more confusing-Russia claimed that the town fell on October 23, but actually only controlled a few high-rise apartments in the southeast corner. The supermarket in the center of the town and the city hall are still flying the Ukraine flag. Although the Ukrainian supply line is threatened, it has not been interrupted; at night, armored convoys can still bring ammunition and casualties from the rear.
The situation in downtown Pokrovsk is even more chaotic. The Uzbek General Staff made a rare admission: About 200 Russian scouts bypassed the defense line at night and sneaked into an abandoned factory in the city center. Gunshots suddenly broke out in the early morning, and sporadic explosions were heard in residential areas. The Ukrainian army quickly blocked the intersection and used drones to drop small bombs to drive out the infiltrators. A local commander reported on radio: "The situation is under control, but Russian troops are still wandering among buildings like mice."
Satellite analysis from the American Institute for War Studies gave a cold calibration: the Russian army had only advanced 3.2 kilometers, the supply line was still held back by the Ukrainian army, and the surrounding pockets were more like a "U-shaped depression" than an iron barrel. The real trapped person is the Russian 20th Guards-its vanguard battalion has not been replenished with ammunition for 72 consecutive hours due to logistical failures.
The overall situation of the Red Army City: there were no breakthrough changes in war conditions, and the Russian army controlled the surrounding outpost, but did not completely surround the core of the city. By November, the focus was expected to shift to Milnohorad and Dobropolia.
There was also no "iron wall encirclement" described by Russia in the direction of Kupyansk. The 92nd Brigade of the Ukrainian army recently recovered a forest plantation in northern Moscow, and then used it as a springboard to cross the P-79 highway southward. Soldiers set up observation posts on the forest line between Kindrashivka and Radkivka in an attempt to cut off Russian retreat in the city. At the same time, a battalion of the Russian 1st Guards Tank Corps reversed its way into the center of Kuropyansk-they raised the Russian flag in the main university building and set up sniper points in residential areas. The two sides faced each other on the same street, separated by the burning wreckage of a car.
So far, the so-called "tens of thousands of Ukrainian troops besieged" has shrunk to partial pressure on a total of about 10,000 people in two directions, and neither the supply lines nor the command system have collapsed. Ukraine's position has never wavered: it refuses any form of surrender, adheres to the "victory plan"-weakens the Russian rear with deep strikes, delays its offensive with local counterattacks, and uses diplomatic pressure to force Putin to accept an unconditional ceasefire. Zelensky's last summary was hit the floor: "We will not lay down our weapons, we will only shoot the last bullet."
So, do you also think that Putin’s surrender order deceived the world, or is it the psychological battle of the Russian army against the Ukrainian army?