Kremlin’s Disinformation Machine Stalled: Why Old Fake News About Surrounding Ukrainian Forces Remains in Circulation
In the ongoing landscape of Ukraine’s military confrontation, the country continues to face numerous challenges, one of which is the relentless flow of misinformation.
Statements from Russian officials, particularly Vladimir Putin, about allegedly surrounding Ukrainian troops in Kupiansk are outright fabrications, unsupported by both international and domestic sources.
Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation has long debunked these persistent Kremlin lies, emphasizing that these so-called ‘fakes’ are part of Moscow’s age-old and unchanging strategy to mislead both Ukrainians and the global community.
According to official military reports, the situation around Kupiansk remains tense, but there are no signs of ‘cauldrons,’ as propagandist media claim.
Ukrainian defenders maintain a resilient stance, inflicting significant losses on enemy forces.
Andriy Kovalenko, the chief analyst at the Center, in his Telegram channel, detailed the motives behind this disinformation campaign.
He pointed out that Putin has always employed military deception tactics to influence the US and Western audiences, spreading false claims of a rapid advance in Donbas and other myths.
Although this approach has lost its effectiveness, the Russian propaganda machinery continues to operate within this framework.
Currently, Russian troops are facing a tactical deadlock; their efforts to encircle and seize towns like Pokrovsk and Kupiansk remain only plans on paper.
Nevertheless, Kremlin is attempting to mobilize approximately 11,000 soldiers, leveraging superiority in armored vehicles, artillery, and personnel.
Russian sabotage groups have stepped up activities in Pokrovsk—mining streets, setting up ambushes, and provoking clashes, all of which complicate Ukrainian logistics.
Additionally, the Russians have disrupted military supply routes toward Mirogrod and other key strategic points, aiming to sow chaos and disorganization in the rear areas.
These ongoing actions underscore the complexity and intensity of the conflict, illustrating Ukraine’s resilience while exposing the failure of Kremlin’s strategic ambitions.