Ukraine responds to Putin’s offer of "media corridor" and recalls Ilovaisk tragedy

Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has advised journalists not to trust Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin when he offers media representatives access to combat zones, promising a temporary ceasefire.

Source: Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi on X (Twitter)

Details: Yesterday Putin claimed that Ukrainian forces are encircled in Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad (two neighbouring cities in Donetsk Oblast), as well as in Kupiansk (Kharkiv Oblast). To "verify" this, he has offered to "guarantee unhindered access" to those areas "for foreign journalists, including Ukrainian journalists".

The Russian command has promised to halt the hostilities in those areas for five to six hours and to ensure unimpeded entry and exit corridors for foreign media representatives.

Quote from Tykhyi: "Frankly, I do not recommend that any reporters trust any of Putin's proposals for 'corridors' in the war zone. I saw firsthand how such proposals play out – on 29 August 2014, in Ilovaisk.

Putin's only goal is to prolong the war. And he has never kept any of his ceasefire pledges. Do not assist him in justifying his crimes through Russian provocations against journalists."

More details: The Foreign Ministry spokesman also reminded all media outlets that any visits to Russian-occupied territory without Ukraine's permission constitute a violation of the law and will have "long-term reputational and legal consequences". "We are watching closely," he stressed.

For reference: At the end of August 2014, after fierce fighting, Ukrainian fighters were encircled near the city of Ilovaisk in Donetsk Oblast.

On the night of 28-29 August, Putin called on the Russian-backed militants to open a humanitarian corridor for the Ukrainian servicemen who were surrounded, to allow them to leave the combat zone without interference. But Russian troops opened fire on the corridor through which it had been agreed the Ukrainian fighters were to leave.

As a result of the Ilovaisk tragedy, Ukrainian forces suffered some of the heaviest losses since Russia's invasion of Donbas. Officially, 366 soldiers were killed, around 450 were wounded, 300 were captured and 84 went missing.

Background:

• The Ukrainian Joint Forces have stated that heavy fighting is ongoing in and around Kupiansk, but that reports of Ukrainian troops being encircled there are false.
• The 7th Rapid Response Corps of the Air Assault Forces and Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, have also said that Russian forces are failing to gain a foothold in Pokrovsk and Russian claims that the city is encircled are false.

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