Russia's Defense Ministry spreads false claims about army's battlefield gains on Max - ISW
Photo: Russian military personnel (Getty Images)
Russia's Defense Ministry is reporting alleged battlefield successes on Max, but some of its claims lack evidence. Even Russian military bloggers are questioning claims that Ukrainian forces have been encircled in the Kharkiv region, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
On October 9, Russia's Defense Ministry published its weekly battlefield update exclusively on Max. The ministry claimed that Russian forces had allegedly captured two Ukrainian settlements between October 3 and 9, and three more in the preceding 24 hours.
Russia also claimed that its troops had thwarted Ukrainian attempts to rotate forces or break out of an alleged encirclement near Dobropillia in the Donetsk region and near Chorne, northeast of Kharkiv.
Separately, Russia's Defense Ministry claimed that units of its Northern Group of Forces had captured 414 square kilometers of territory and 20 settlements in the Kharkiv region after allegedly encircling Ukrainian forces.
ISW considers these claims exaggerated and insufficiently supported by evidence. Ukrainian military officials have not confirmed that their units were encircled in the northern Kharkiv region. Russian military bloggers also expressed doubts about the claims.
The Russian ministry's report also referred to long-range strikes against Ukrainian defense industry facilities, telecommunications centers, and dry cargo vessels over the previous week.
Why Russia's Defense Ministry is publishing its report on Max
ISW analysts noted that on October 9, Russia's Defense Ministry posted its update exclusively on Max rather than on its Telegram channel, which is aimed at an international audience.
According to the analysts, the choice of platform may indicate that the Kremlin wants to direct exaggerated reports of military successes primarily at Russian audiences. The authorities are attempting to create the impression that Russian forces are continuously advancing, despite signs that their offensive has slowed significantly.
Max is a Russian state-backed messaging platform that the authorities are promoting as part of their efforts to control the internet. Registration requires a Russian or Belarusian phone number, limiting access for some international users.
ISW suggests that publishing the report exclusively on Max may also have helped reduce international attention to unverified claims about Russian military successes. At the same time, Russia's Defense Ministry continues to publish exaggerated claims on Telegram, and analysts regularly assess them and challenge those that do not align with the available evidence.
Ukraine is also making gains on the battlefield
In reality, Ukrainian forces have made gains in some sectors of the Donetsk region, where they have launched counterattacks and pushed Russian troops back. According to ISW, Russian forces have been unable to establish confirmed advances in several areas, including near Lyman, Kupiansk, and Dobropillia.
Ukrainian troops have also improved their positions beyond the Donetsk region, including in western Zaporizhzhia. In particular, Ukrainian forces expanded their counterattack zones along the Lyman and Kostiantynivka axes. Geolocated footage also confirmed that Ukrainian forces were holding positions near Novoselivka, southeast of Orikhiv.
