Putin guarantees life to Ukrainian soldiers in Kursk region upon surrender

Russian President Vladimir Putin has confirmed that Ukrainian soldiers that are currently in the Kursk region will be guaranteed life if they surrender, reported Xinhua, quoting local media on Friday.

"If they lay down their arms and surrender, they will be guaranteed life and dignified treatment in accordance with the norms of international law and the laws of the Russian Federation," he said during a meeting with members of the Russian Security Council.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that his administration "had very good and productive discussions," with Putin yesterday, adding that there is a very good chance that the "horrible, bloody war" can finally come to an end.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said that thousands of Ukrainian troops were currently surrounded by the Russian military, adding that he urged Putin to spare their lives.

Putin noted that in order for Trump's call to be carried out, Ukraine's leadership must order its troops to surrender.

Meanwhile, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on Friday denied the reports that Ukrainian troops had been encircled in Russia's western Kursk region.

"Reports of the alleged encirclement of Ukrainian units by the enemy in the Kursk region are false," the General Staff said in a statement.

It noted that the situation in the Kursk region remained largely unchanged over the past day, with 13 combat clashes occurring since the beginning of Friday.

According to the statement, Ukrainian troops have successfully regrouped and withdrawn to more advantageous defensive positions.

"There is no threat of encirclement of our units," the General Staff emphasized.

Earlier in the day, U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that "thousands of Ukrainian troops are completely surrounded by the Russian military" in the Kursk region, the Ukrayinska Pravda media outlet reported.