On Saturday, Kyiv pushed back against Moscow’s assertion that nearly 100 settlements and over 1,800 square kilometers (695 square miles) of land had been seized since September 1, characterizing the updates from the front as fabricated narratives meant for internal consumption.
The dispute centers on figures presented on Friday by the chief of Russia’s General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, who informed President Vladimir Putin that Russian forces had seized 92 Ukrainian settlements and made significant territorial gains since the start of last month. Furthermore, Kovaliov disputed Gerasimov’s assertions regarding Russian forces having arrived near Kramatorsk’s perimeter or making headway within Sloviansk’s outskirts.
Ukrainian military officials pushed back sharply against the narrative. Andriy Kovaliov, a spokesman for Ukraine’s General Staff, issued an emailed statement declaring that the active operations conducted by the Ukrainian Defense Forces have actually liberated more territory since the beginning of autumn than the enemy has managed to capture.
“The Russian military leadership continues to create an illusion of major victories for its political leadership and domestic audience,” Kovaliov said, adding that Dobropillia—situated southwest of the heavily contested “fortress belt” cities of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk—remains under Ukrainian control despite sustained Russian attacks.
Independent verification of the battlefield claims remains unavailable, as front lines across the conflict zone stay largely static within a deadly “kill zone.” The capture of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk would bring Russia closer to its goal of seizing the entire industrialised Donetsk region.
Intensified Air Campaigns Across the Front Lines
With many front lines largely static, both sides have intensified their air campaigns in recent months. Russia fired hundreds of ballistic missiles over the summer and early autumn, prompting expectations that it will target critical infrastructure, including heating and power sites, into the winter.
In response, Ukraine has leveraged its own capabilities. Operating with a far smaller missile arsenal, Ukraine has launched hundreds of long-range drone attacks on Russian refineries, ships and warehouses.
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