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Ukrainian General Staff denies Russian claims of troop encirclement in Kursk Oblast

The Ukrainian General Staff has firmly rejected reports of encircled troops in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, directly contradicting statements made by US President Donald Trump following his “productive discussions” with Vladimir Putin about the fate of supposedly surrounded Ukrainian soldiers.

byOlena Mukhina

14/03/2025

2 minute read

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A Ukrainian soldier with a drone on the frontline. Photo: General Staff via Facebook

Ukrainian General Staff denies Russian claims of troop encirclement in Kursk Oblast

There is no threat of encirclement of the Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, according to the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces’ operation in Kursk Oblast is still underway, with ongoing combat and the withdrawal of troops from areas captured in August 2024. Meanwhile, Russian forces are advancing into the border of Sumy Oblast, aiming to sever Kyiv’s supply lines. The Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, states that fighting continues in the suburbs of Sudzha city in Kursk Oblast and the surrounding areas. The city itself has been almost completely ruined by Russian guided bombs and artillery.

On 14 March, US President Donald Trump said the US had “very good and productive discussions” with Russian ruler Vladimir Putin. According to Trump, thousands of Ukrainian soldiers are now fully encircled by Russian forces in Kursk Oblast. In this regard, the US president strongly urged Putin to spare their lives, according to The Guardian.

“Reports of a supposed ‘encirclement’ of Ukrainian units by Russian troops in Kursk Oblast are false and are being fabricated by the Russians for political purposes, aiming to pressure Ukraine and its partners,” says the Ukrainian military leadership.

It also highlights that the situation has not significantly changed in the past 24 hours. Combat operations are ongoing in the operational area of the Kursk military grouping.

“Ukrainian Defense Forces have repositioned, moved to more advantageous defense lines, and are carrying out their assigned tasks in Kursk Oblast,” notes the General Staff.

Additionally, it says Ukrainian troops are successfully repelling Russian offensives and inflicting effective fire damage using all types of weaponry.

Since the start of the current day, there have been 13 combat engagements in the Kursk direction.

“There is no threat of encirclement of our units,” the Ukrainian military report emphasizes.

According to the General Staff’s update at 4:00 PM, Russian troops carried out 16 airstrikes, dropped 25 guided bombs, and launched 98 artillery attacks during the day.

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