Nearly 80% Of The Russian Federation’s Territorial “conquests” In 2026 Turned Out To Be Fake
- 17.09.2026, 19:22
A "culture of lies" prevails in the Kremlin.
Having repeatedly claimed that he was “duped” by the West, Russian leader Vladimir Putin is increasingly falling victim to “deception” by the military, which reports to the Kremlin on successes on the Ukrainian front that do not actually exist, writes The Moscow Times.
Since the beginning of the year, Russian troops have taken control of about 650 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory, according to calculations by OSINT analyst Clément Molen. This is 80% lower than the estimates Putin had publicly given: in early July, he spoke of “liberating” 3,000 square kilometers since the start of the year, and by early September, he said, another 270 square kilometers had been added.
In reality, the pace of the Russian army’s advance has slowed significantly, according to Molen’s estimates. By the same dates last year, Russian forces had taken control of 3,146 square kilometers (that is, five times as much), and in 2024—1,907 square kilometers (that is, three times as much).
“Officially, Moscow claims to control 5,000 square kilometers more than the Ukrainians claim, and even 3,000 square kilometers more than pro-Russian analysts say. The purpose of this propaganda involving numbers is primarily domestic: to hide problems and show that the army is still advancing and winning victories on the front lines,” writes Molen.
The military is increasingly using AI-generated videos to demonstrate the alleged capture of settlements where they have never been present. According to estimates by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), from June through August, at least 35 such videos from at least 10 units and brigades appeared online.
The most high-profile case of AI-generated fakes was the “capture” of Svyatogorsk, which Putin claimed to have taken in early September. The “capture” of Nikolayevka in the Donetsk region, Bely Kolodez in the Kharkiv region, and several dozen other settlements also turned out to be “neural fakes.” According to Putin, the army “liberated” 15 of them in August alone, and 133 between January and July.
A “culture of lies” has become deeply entrenched in the Russian military, resulting in the military “systematically misinforming Putin about the state of the front lines,” writes the ISW. This, in turn, leads to the creation of a “fictional reality” in Putin’s mind, upon which he bases his negotiating position regarding Ukraine, the institute’s experts believe.
“Lies and distortions by Russian military commanders at various levels likely lead Putin to reinforce his belief that Russian forces can achieve his stated goal of fully capturing the Donetsk region by the end of 2026,” writes the ISW.