Both the Ukrainian military and a Kremlin-linked blogger have proven false one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's most outrageous claims about Russian progress in Donetsk region.
The commander of Ukraine's 3rd Army Corps (AK), Brigadier General Andriy Biletsky, released a video on September 7 in which he is seen speaking calmly in Svyatogorsk (north of Slavyansk), demonstrating undisputed Ukrainian control over the village. Contrary to Putin's claims on September 1 that Russian forces had taken it.
Biletsky said that Ukrainian forces are in control of Svyatogorsk and that Ukraine considers the village a "rear area".
From the "Institute for the Study of War" (ISW) has evidence that the closest Russian forces to Svyatogorsk in late spring/early summer 2026 were 13 kilometers away.
Numerous reports indicate that the current Russian line is even further away amid ongoing Ukrainian counter-offensive operations. On September 5, a Russian source published archival and manipulated footage, possibly in support of Putin, but a Russian blogger responded the same day and denied that Russian forces were holding positions even near Svyatogorsk.
Such lies support the Kremlin in order to strengthen Russia's position in the negotiations.
Russian bloggers continue to highlight the consequences of Russia's culture of lies - "beautiful reporting" that actually harms military operations.
However, the Kremlin continues to press on, demanding Ukraine's complete surrender and withdrawal from Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions, including large and densely populated areas that Russian forces have never occupied.
Putin stated on September 1 that his understanding of the battlefield was "completely objective", but nevertheless continued to make absurd claims about fabricated Russian victories.
The negotiations to secure a lasting and lasting peace, which US President Donald Trump has said he is seeking, cannot be based on Russian lies.
They can only be based on the actual realities on the battlefield and the real trajectory of the war, which is not in Russia's favor.