After Putin Claims Ukrainian Troops Were Surrounded, Zelensky Shows Up and Posts Selfies

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky came up with a simple and effective way to combat Russian President Vladimir Putin’s claims that Ukrainian troops in Kupiansk were surrounded — show up in person and post selfies.

The Kremlin has been claiming for weeks that Russian troops had recaptured Kupiansk, a city in the Kharkiv Oblast in northeastern Ukraine near the border with Russia — claims that Ukraine has repeatedly disputed.

Described by The Kyiv Post as “one of the hottest parts of the frontline,” Kupiansk was occupied by Russia in the early months of the full-scale invasion until it was liberated during the September 2022 Kharkiv counteroffensive. Russian troops have continued to attack the city, shelling hospitals, schools, apartments, and other infrastructure and civilian buildings.

Recently, Putin had doubled down on claiming Kupiansk was under Russian control and even invited international media to visit and verify his claims.

On Friday, Zelensky posted a short video from Kupiansk standing in front of its distinctive city sign.

“The Russians kept going on about Kupiansk — the reality speaks for itself,” said Zelensky, sharing how he had been visiting “our warriors who are getting the job done for Ukraine here.”

While he spoke, an explosion could be heard in the distance, illustrating how the city is on the frontline of the war; he was also wearing a bulletproof vest.

Zelensky concluded by noting that “achieving results on the frontline is crucial” to put Ukraine in a strong position for negotiations, yet another example of pushback against a rejected Kremlin-backed U.S. plan that would have had Ukraine give up substantial territory to Russia.

Zelensky’s video was widely shared by official Ukrainian accounts and other supporters.

“Putin has claimed Ukrainian defenders in Kupiansk were surrounded by russian troops,” posted UNITED24. “He even invited international media there to verify it. President [Zelensky] did some mythbusting, visiting the city. Kupiansk is Ukraine.”

The Ukrainian control of Kupiansk is evidenced by not just Zelensky’s presence in the city, but also the landmark sign behind him. Many Ukrainian cities have long displayed such marquee signs with their names and they have become a propaganda target in this war, being repainted and changed as cities have changed hands.

For example, in the below photo shared by Euromaidan Press, the Russian occupiers changed the color of the city sign in Mariupol from the Ukrainian blue and yellow to Russia’s white, blue, and red, along with switching out the letters to the Russian spelling.

In Zelensky’s video, the Kupiansk sign is tattered but still standing — and in Ukrainian blue and yellow.

He also posted several selfies in the city and photos showing him meeting with the troops who had defended Kupiansk.

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