Russia Accused of Fabricating Ukrainian Counteroffensive to Mask False Progress Reports, ISW Says

Russian Forces Accused of Fabricating Ukrainian Counteroffensive Claims to Cover Failed Advances

Russian military bloggers are claiming Ukraine has launched a counteroffensive near the Dnipropetrovsk-Zaporizhzhia regional borders, but Ukrainian officials firmly deny these reports, calling them fabrications designed to mask Russia’s previous false claims about territorial gains in the area.

According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), this apparent misinformation campaign represents a broader pattern of Russian forces making exaggerated or false claims across multiple fronts, from Kupiansk to Pokrovsk and Huliaipole, aimed at projecting an image of inevitable Russian victory as fighting continues in southern and eastern Ukraine.

Ukraine’s Southern Defense Forces spokesperson Col. Vladyslav Voloshyn explicitly refuted the counteroffensive narrative, stating that Ukrainian troops maintain control of Ternuvate, a settlement Russian forces previously claimed to have captured. Voloshyn clarified that the actual frontline remains at least 10-15 kilometers from Ternuvate, contradicting Russian reports.

“What’s happening is routine reconnaissance and search operations targeting Russian sabotage groups, not a counteroffensive,” Voloshyn explained, suggesting Russian forces are attempting to use these claims to manage expectations after overstating their own advances.

The fabricated counteroffensive reports began circulating when a Russian military blogger claimed Ukrainian forces were conducting offensive operations near Sosnivka, Novooleksandrivka, and Nechaivka. The blogger alleged that Ukrainian forces had exploited foggy weather conditions and recent disruptions to Russian forces’ Starlink terminals to push forward.

Other Kremlin-affiliated sources quickly amplified these claims, describing a “local counteroffensive” in eastern Zaporizhzhia Oblast—allegedly the first such Ukrainian action in the area in some time. These accounts suggested Ukrainian armored counterattacks near several settlements including Velykomykhailivka, Orestopil, Ternuvate, Pryluky, Zarichne, Pishchane, and Dobropillia.

Some Russian sources went as far as claiming Ukrainian troops had driven Russian forces from positions west of Pryluky and from Prydorozhnie, northwest of Huliaipole.

The ISW assessment points to a more systematic problem within Russian military reporting. The think tank notes that Russian military bloggers themselves have expressed frustration over commanders filing fabricated progress reports up the chain of command, creating a distorted picture of battlefield realities.

“Russian forces likely exaggerated their recent gains near Oleksandrivka and Huliaipole, and are now invoking this supposed Ukrainian counteroffensive as a pretext for quietly walking back those claimed advances,” the ISW concluded.

This incident highlights the ongoing information war that parallels the physical conflict, with both sides attempting to shape perceptions of battlefield momentum. The Russian claims emerge as US-brokered peace talks continue, potentially representing an effort to strengthen Russia’s negotiating position by projecting military success.

In one particularly telling incident, Ukrainian forces reportedly destroyed a Russian unit shortly after they filmed a staged “victory” in Ternuvate with drones. Col. Voloshyn described this as a failed attempt to fabricate evidence of territorial gains, underscoring the lengths to which Russian forces will go to create false narratives of progress.

As the conflict approaches its third year, the reliability of battlefield information remains critically important yet increasingly difficult to verify, with claims and counterclaims forming part of each side’s strategic communications approach alongside actual military operations.