Putin claims new Russian gains on the front, but ISW says otherwise
Photo: Vladimir Putin (Getty Images)
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is increasingly claiming territorial gains, but most of them are simply fabrications, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
The Kremlin chief continues to assure Russians that the capture of the entire Donetsk region is allegedly proceeding according to plan.
For example, he said that last month, the Russian army occupied 15 settlements with a total area of 270 square kilometers in the region.
American analysts emphasize that open-source data do not confirm these “successes.”
According to ISW data, in August, the Russians took control of only 73.14 square kilometers of territory in the Donetsk region.
Last month, the Russian army managed to consolidate its positions or capture 90.35 square kilometers across the entire theater of hostilities.
Analysts also remind that Putin has set a deadline for his forces to completely capture the Donetsk region at least 15 times — none of them was met.
Moreover, the Kremlin chief claimed that Russia’s northern grouping had allegedly captured Sviatohirsk. ISW notes that during the maximum advance in late spring and early summer, Russian forces were no closer than 13 km from the city.
The Russian dictator’s high-profile claim about the capture of Kozacha Lopan also turned out to be a lie. Ukrainian Armed Forces troops continue to hold the defense in the settlement. The latest data indicate that the occupiers are present in approximately 13.39% of its territory.
Putin has also begun claiming that Russia’s western grouping allegedly encircled 13 Ukrainian battalions — about 5,000 troops — on the eastern bank of the Oskil Reservoir near Pisky-Radkivski.
However, ISW found no evidence of Russian troops in the claimed area, let alone of the encirclement of significant Ukrainian forces there.
Putin and Erdoğan recently discussed Ukraine during closed-door talks.
RBC-Ukraine also reported on how the Kremlin chief reacted to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s decision to step up attacks against Russia.
