Russia claims upwards of 10,000 Ukrainian troops are encircled and can only be reached via Russian controlled corridors.

Ukraine claims their troops are not encircled and Russia is lying.

Which makes Putin's latest gambit to let Western media see for themselves a minor masterstroke.

Zelensky claims '“This is a complete lie. And not the first,” nevertheless Ukraine is advising the media not to go into these 'cauldrons' to see this lie for themselves as invited to do so by the Russians.

[https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/zelenskyy-debunks-kremlin-myth-of-mass-encirclements/ar-AA1Pg2RT]

The Kyiv Independent has a detailed article on the situation by Francis Farrell that is well worth reading.

[https://kyivindependent.com/pokrovsk-defense-deteriorates-further-as-putin-claims-encirclement-what-we-know/]

For now, said the deputy commander of one Ukrainian unit holding positions in the city, — speaking to the Kyiv Independent on the condition of anonymity — the greater danger to his troops is not an encirclement on the ground, but control of all logistics routes into Myrnohrad by Russian drones and artillery.

"Pokrovsk is indeed causing us problems," he said, "but we have been in a de-facto encirclement effectively for three months, and there are still routes remaining to continue defending Myrnohrad."

So is this media invitation a (Putin) trick or a treat (for truth).

We'll never know unless someone has the balls to go in and report the reality.