Zelenskyy mocks Russian general over false battlefield claims
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (photo: Getty Images)
Ukraine's Defense Forces fully control Dobropillia, Kostiantynivka, Oleksiievo-Druzhkivka, Orikhiv, Novopavlivka, Novoandriivka, and Velykomykhailivka, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
The head of state effectively responded to fabricated claims by Russian Armed Forces Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, who made them while briefing Russian President Vladimir Putin.
On October 18, Zelenskyy received a new briefing from Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Mykhailo Drapatyi and revealed the actual situation on the front lines.
"Dobropillia, Kostiantynivka, Oleksiievo-Druzhkivka, Orikhiv, Novopavlivka, Novoandriivka, and Velykomykhailivka are all under Ukrainian control. We are also defending areas near Kramatorsk. We are killing Russians 20 kilometers from Zaporizhzhia, not five, as someone in Russia is making up for Putin. Our front line is strong," the Ukrainian president stressed.
#Zelenskyy mocks #Gerasimov's lies about Russian "gains," says #Dobropillia, #Kostiantynivka, Oleksiievo-Druzhkivka, #Orikhiv, #Novopavlivka, #Novoandriivka, and #Velykomykhailivka all remain under Ukrainian control pic.twitter.com/NBQ6XAMV06
— RBC-Ukraine (@NewsUkraineRBC) October 18, 2026
As for the situation in Dobropillia specifically, Ukraine's Defense Forces are not only successfully repelling Russia's assaults but also preventing Russian infiltration attempts.
According to the Ukrainian leader, the overall situation is difficult, but Ukraine's defenders are holding their ground.
Zelenskyy also noted that Ukrainian positions remain strong in other areas of Donetsk and Kharkiv regions, as well as in the Zaporizhzhia region.
"We are seeing the results of operations by the Air Assault Forces and the Third Army Corps—our active defense. This trend has continued this year: since the beginning of autumn, our troops have liberated more territory than the Russians have captured. The same was true during other parts of the year," he stressed.
As previously reported, on October 18, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine refuted Gerasimov's fabricated claims about Russian advances in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions.
In addition, Russian pro-war bloggers publicly criticized the chief of the Russian Armed Forces General Staff for lying to Putin.
