Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump both say Ukrainian forces have been encircled by Russian troops in the western Russian region of Kursk. But the Ukrainian military denies the claims.
The Russian military is ramping up its offensive in Kursk, where Ukrainian forces have been engaging in cross-border attacks.
Putin announced on Thursday that Russia has recaptured almost all areas of the region occupied by Ukraine. He said the Ukrainian troops that invaded the Russian territory are totally isolated.
Trump wrote in a social media post on Friday that thousands of Ukrainian troops are now completely surrounded by the Russian military.
Ukraine's General Staff of the Armed Forces acknowledged on social media on Friday that Ukrainian soldiers had withdrawn to what it described as "more advantageous" defensive positions. But it rejected the alleged encirclement as false. It also said its forces are under no threat of being surrounded.
The US-based Institute for the Study of War also reported that there is "no geolocated evidence to indicate that Russian forces have encircled a significant number of Ukrainian forces" in Kursk.
Referring to the situation in Kursk, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Wednesday that his country's military command was doing what it should, to save the lives of its soldiers.
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