Kremlin-aligned blogger admits Russian claims on Svyatohirsk are false – ISW

Ukrainian military commander Andrii Biletskyi has debunked Russian claims that they captured the city of Svyatohirsk, leading even a Kremlin-aligned military blogger to admit the statement was false, according to a report by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) on September 7. Biletskyi released a video showing himself in Svyatohirsk, asserting Ukrainian control over the city.

The Ukrainian forces are considered to be in the city's rear area, according to the ISW analysts. The Kremlin-affiliated milblogger acknowledged on September 7 that Biletskyi's video clearly demonstrated Ukrainian control over Svyatohirsk. The Russian military command and agencies responsible for Russian cognitive warfare efforts should have realized that Ukrainian forces would easily dispel Putin's exaggerated claims in this area.

The culture of lying within the Russian armed forces not only damages their effectiveness but also supports exaggerated Kremlin claims that Putin uses to bolster his negotiation position. According to ISW analysts, negotiations for a durable and lasting peace cannot be based on Russian lies; they must be based on the actual realities of the battlefield and the war's trajectory, which does not favor Russia.

The Donetsk Regional Military Administration confirmed on August 6 that Sviatohirsk remains under Ukrainian control, despite the ongoing shelling and threats to the city. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on August 26 that two reorganized units, commanded by Denys Prokopenko and Andrii Biletskyi, would reinforce Ukrainian defensive positions in Donetsk Oblast.