(MENAFN) Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Georgy Tikhy has urged reporters to reject Russia's proposal to visit the front lines in Donbass, where he claims Ukrainian forces are being encircled.

This advice came after Russian President Vladimir Putin offered to provide a safe passage for international journalists to witness the situation firsthand, specifically areas where he stated the Russian military had surrounded Ukrainian troops.

Tikhy cautioned against accepting such invitations, recalling the tragic events of Ilovaysk in Donbass on August 29, 2014.

At that time, Ukrainian forces were surrounded by fighters from the self-declared Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), which is now part of Russia.

Ukrainian commanders turned down the DPR's offer for a weaponless evacuation, resulting in significant losses as they attempted to break free from the encirclement.

In his message, Tikhy also warned of potential "Russian provocations against journalists." He further reminded the media that entering Russian-occupied areas without Ukraine's authorization constitutes a violation of both Ukrainian law and international regulations.

He stressed that such actions could lead to long-term legal and reputational repercussions, and assured that Ukraine was closely monitoring the situation.

On Wednesday, Putin declared that Russia was willing to allow Ukrainian and other international journalists to travel to the front lines, particularly to the cities of Krasnoarmeysk (Pokrovsk), Kupyansk, and Dimitrov (Mirnograd), to witness the alleged encirclement of Ukrainian troops.

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