Zelenskyy says Russia aims to encircle Ukrainian forces near Kursk, but Kyiv is aware

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday that Russian forces are attempting to encircle Ukrainian troops near the Kursk front, but stressed Ukraine's military command is aware of these plans.

Speaking at a briefing, Zelenskyy said Russia seeks to expand its presence on Ukrainian territory.

"I believe that the Russian side wants to encircle Ukrainian forces in the same direction (the Kursk front), but on Ukrainian territory. The important thing is that our forces are aware of this, the command knows, and we clearly understand where they want to do it," he said, cited by Ukrinform.

Dismissing reports that Ukrainian forces were encircled, Zelenskyy called such claims "Putin's lie."

He urged Ukraine's international partners to verify the situation through intelligence data and satellite images.

Earlier, Ukraine's General Staff also denied Russian reports of Ukrainian units being surrounded in the Kursk region, calling them false and politically motivated.

Dressed in military fatigues, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited troops in Kursk earlier this week and ordered them to swiftly retake the rest of the area from Ukrainian forces.

He said Ukrainian soldiers captured in Kursk should be treated as "terrorists."

US President Donald Trump has requested Putin to "spare" the lives of the "vulnerable" Ukrainian troops.