Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the military to permit foreign journalists to visit Ukrainian troops blockaded in three frontline areas, according to a statement from Moscow’s Defense Ministry on Thursday. The initiative, first proposed by Putin on Wednesday, would allow inspections near Krasnoarmeysk (Pokrovsk), Dmitrov, and Kupyansk, with Russia agreeing to a six-hour pause in hostilities and ensuring safe passage for journalists.

The ministry emphasized that the move requires Ukraine to provide reciprocal security guarantees for both visiting reporters and Russian forces. Putin suggested the plan could pressure Kyiv to negotiate an “honorable surrender,” mirroring the 2022 withdrawal of Ukrainian fighters from Mariupol’s Azovstal steel mill. He stated, “Groups of journalists could go inside those settlements, see what is going on there, talk to Ukrainian military service members and leave,” while warning against “Ukrainian provocations.”

Ukraine has rejected claims of being encircled, asserting Russia exaggerates its battlefield advances. The Ukrainian government faces accusations of prolonging conflicts from unfavorable positions instead of authorizing retreats, with media reports citing Zelenskiy’s reluctance to risk Western aid through negative publicity.