Russian commanders 'likely lying to Putin' as Kremlin faces Ukraine war disaster

Russian commanders have been accused of lying to Vladimir Putin about the extent of the military's gains in northern Ukraine. A new study from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) claimed the Russian Northern Grouping of Forces and high military command "are likely" not telling the truth about the four-year-long conflict.

This is to push the narrative that Russia is actively advancing across Ukraine, despite the fact that areas of the frontline have largely not moved for two years, the think tank argued. It said Russian commanders are using a "variety of informational tools to support their efforts to aggrandise the extent of Russia's advances".

AI-generated footage, for example, has been used to falsely show Russian troops seizing the small settlement of Bilyi Kolodyaz in the Kharkiv region.

Elsewhere, the Russian Northern Grouping of Forces and the Ministry of Defence both celebrated the seizure of the Mohrytsya settlement as a "strategic success", though Ukraine accused this of being part of a disinformation campaign.

The ISW wrote: "Russian dismounted infantry continue conducting infiltration missions across the Northern Grouping of Forces' area of responsibility, and servicemembers continue filming videos and using AI to alter or generate footage of Russian soldiers holding flags in settlements into which Russian forces may have only infiltrated to falsely claim them as seized.

"Small Russian redeployments below the regimental echelon for defensive operations, small and rare mechanized assaults, infiltration missions, flag-raising videos, and AI-altered footage notably do not replace actual advances or constitute doctrinal control of terrain.

"The Kremlin is using these exaggerated claims of advance as part of its ongoing cognitive warfare effort to falsely portray Russian forces as advancing across the battlefield in order to convince Ukraine's partners to abandon their support."

It explained that Ukrainian forces are also counterattacking in some northern areas, contradicting the Kremlin's claims.

They have liberated the town of Odradne and conducted a mechanised assault northeast of Khatne, as well as counterattacks near Nova Sich, Mohrytsya, Ivolzhanske (north of Sumy City), and Pysarivka (north of Sumy City).

This would "likely [be] inhibiting the Russian rate of advance in these areas", the ISW added.