MELITOPOL, December 15. /TASS/. About 700 Ukrainian soldiers, including from a special forces unit, who have been repeatedly denied permission to retreat, have been trapped near Annovka, south of Kurakhovo in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), Vladimir Rogov, chairman of the Russian Civic Chamber’s commission on sovereignty, patriotic projects, and veteran support, told TASS.
"Near Annovka, some 700 Ukrainian militants have ceased to offer resistance as they have been attempting to flee in small groups via Uspenovka and the Sukhiye Yaly riverbed. Actually, several Ukrainian companies and a special forces unit, got in the cauldron there. Judging from intercepted radio signals, they have requested instructions to retreat eight times but were refused," Rogov revealed.
According to the Russian official, the remaining Ukrainian troops in Kurakhovo itself can find themselves trapped, and very soon, too. "Ukrainian militants have little choice: either surrender or be killed. And we can see that the [Ukraine’s Vladimir] Zelensky regime is not going to give orders to retreat," Rogov noted. Ukrainian servicemen who were forcefully mobilized have been fleeing Kurakhovo already, he added.