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Putin Claims Ukraine Is Encircled Near Non-Existent Staryi Oskil River
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![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
Russian leader Vladimir Putin claimed that Ukrainian forces had been “encircled” near what he called the “Staryi Oskil River,” apparently confusing a Russian city with the Oskil River in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region.
Ukraine’s Joint Forces Group responded on June 29, calling the statement another Kremlin fake.
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Staryi Oskil is a city in Russia’s Belgorod region, located more than 100 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.
Putin had claimed that Russian troops had nearly blocked a Ukrainian grouping “on the left bank of the Staryi Oskil River.”
The Russian dictator's attempt yesterday to convey a semblance of control has only backfired, with his rant of easily disprovable falsehoods only humiliating his regime even further. We've put together the top-5 lies regarding Ukraine.
— SPRAVDI — Stratcom Centre (@StratcomCentre) June 29, 2026
🔻 Lie #1. "Ukraine is attacking civilian… pic.twitter.com/iOLbjhpErz
In reality, he likely confused the Russian city of Staryi Oskil with the Oskil River, which flows through Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, where fighting is ongoing.
Ukraine’s military said its forces are currently working to advance in that direction but rejected Moscow’s claim of any Ukrainian encirclement.
“We are convinced that the head of the Russian Federation knows the combat capability of his troops better than we do, so we suggest considering the battles for Staryi Oskil an announcement on his part,” Ukraine’s Joint Forces Group said.
Earlier, Vladimir Putin claimed that the war is nearing its conclusion, citing his assessment of current operations on the front lines.
Speaking on the status of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Putin stated that he has arrived at this outlook by analyzing the situation on the battlefield, where he alleges that Russian forces are advancing in every direction.
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