LUGANSK, October 31. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to allow journalists access to Ukrainian Armed Forces troops encircled in Kupyansk in the Kharkov Region and in Krasnoarmeysk (Ukrainian name: Pokrovsk) in the Donetsk People’s Republic indicates that Putin is interested in showing the world the truth and the actual situation on the ground, Janus Putkonen, Finnish journalist, geopolitical analyst and editor-in-chief of MV-Lehti international news agency, told TASS.

On Wednesday, Putin stated that the Russian Armed Forces do not object to allowing media - including Ukrainian and foreign outlets - into areas where enemy forces are surrounded in Kupyansk and Krasnoarmeysk, and are prepared to suspend hostilities at locations where groups of journalists are present so that they may enter the settlements, assess the situation, speak with Ukrainian servicemen, and then leave. On Thursday, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that Putin had instructed authorities to ensure unobstructed passage for foreign journalists to the areas where Ukrainian forces are encircled in Krasnoarmeysk, Dimitrov, and Kupyansk.

"Putin has offered something that has not been offered before. And the world's attention is now certainly focused on the surrounded cities," he said, adding "Putin has already shown that Russia is not trying to hide information. It is in Russia's interests to show the world the real situation on the ground in Ukraine. Western journalists should look in the mirror and answer themselves: what is the real threat, who exactly is creating this threat, and who is trying to distort the realities on the ground? Let's hope that there are still journalists there. But after more than ten years of war, including the information war of the West, I would be surprised if they would exist there."

Putkonen believes that Putin’s proposal to shed light on the situation of the Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers encircled in Kupyansk and Krasnoarmeysk is "a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," and described this work as very "important."

The analyst also did not rule out that the journalists sent to these areas could become targets of provocations by Kiev.