Russian propaganda spreads fake claims about 'full control' of Kupiansk
Photo: Ukrainian soldiers in Kupiansk (Getty Images)
Russian propaganda continues to spread fake claims about having "full control" over Kupiansk, according to the Centre for Countering Disinformation (CPD) under the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine.
In particular, propagandists are claiming the alleged "elimination of several Ukrainian sabotage groups" on the approaches to Kupiansk. They insist these groups were supposedly sent into an offensive to "maintain information hype around the city."
The CPD stresses that these reports have nothing to do with reality and are yet another fabrication of Russian propaganda.
Russian propaganda has been spreading disinformation about the alleged full capture of Kupiansk and the supposed encirclement of 15 Ukrainian Defence Forces battalions in the city since early December, but these claims were refuted by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
On 3 December, Oleksandr Syrskyi stated that Ukrainian troops had significantly improved their tactical position directly in Kupiansk, infiltration routes for Russian sabotage groups were fully blocked, and Ukrainian forces were working to gradually push the occupiers out of the bridgehead north of the city and from other areas where Russian forces still attempt to maintain a presence.
"In reality, the majority of Kupiansk is under the control of the Ukrainian Defence Forces, and fighting continues in the city. No Ukrainian units are encircled," the CPD noted.
The Centre once again urges citizens to trust only verified sources of information.
Russian propaganda fakes about Armed Forces of Ukraine
In early November, Russian propaganda spread disinformation about the encirclement of Kupiansk using AI-generated social media videos. In those clips, "Ukrainian soldiers" claimed there was a "critical situation" in Kupiansk.
At the end of November, Russian propaganda circulated fake reports claiming their troops had allegedly entered Huliaipole in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. The CPD refuted this claim, confirming that Russian forces attempting to enter the town were destroyed by Ukraine’s Defence Forces.
This information was also not confirmed by the spokesperson for the Defence Forces South, Vladyslav Voloshyn, who reported that command had taken the necessary steps to stabilise the situation.
Additionally, TikTok videos circulated alleging a supposed "mass surrender of Ukrainian soldiers near Pokrovsk." Most of these videos included captions in various foreign languages. According to the CPD, the accounts spreading such content show signs of a coordinated network created specifically to promote Kremlin narratives among foreign audiences.
