Russian Leader, Putin, Says Ukrainians Must 'Surrender or Die'

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Ukrainian forces remaining in the western Kursk region have been completely surrounded, asserting that the situation is under Russian control. The Ukrainian troops have been holding their position for over seven months in what has become a significant battle of the war.

Putin stated that the group of Ukrainian soldiers that entered Russian territory was now isolated. Ukraine had launched an incursion into Kursk last August in an effort to divert Russian forces from the front lines and gain leverage in potential territorial negotiations. However, Ukraine’s top military commander recently denied claims that their forces were encircled.

During a visit to Russian troops in Kursk, Putin ordered his forces to reclaim control of the region from Ukrainian fighters. He warned that if a physical blockade is fully established, the Ukrainian troops will face only two options—surrender or death.

Meanwhile, Russian airstrikes overnight resulted in multiple casualties in Ukraine. In the southern Kherson region, two people were killed, and another was injured following drone and artillery attacks. In Dnipropetrovsk, three people were hospitalized after an attack damaged residential buildings. In the Sumy region, Russian drone strikes set about 20 garages on fire.

Ukraine’s military reported that it intercepted 74 of the 117 drones launched by Russia overnight. The intercepts occurred across multiple regions, including Chernihiv, Kyiv, Odesa, and Zaporizhzhia. Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed it shot down 77 Ukrainian drones, primarily in border regions. In the Kaluga region, one person was injured, and infrastructure was damaged, while 30 drones were reportedly destroyed over Bryansk without causing casualties or damage. Additional drones were intercepted over Kursk, Voronezh, Rostov, and Belgorod.

The ongoing aerial attacks coincide with diplomatic efforts to broker a ceasefire. The U.S. has proposed a 30-day halt in fighting, which Ukraine has indicated it would accept. American officials are expected to engage in discussions with Russian representatives regarding the proposal in the coming days.