Biletsky's video debunks Putin's claim of capturing Sviatohirsk
Ukrainian 3rd Army Corps commander Andriy Biletsky published a video from Sviatohirsk proving the city remains under Ukrainian control, contradicting Vladimir Putin's claims — an assessment even pro-Kremlin military bloggers have acknowledged.
Ukraine's 3rd Army Corps commander Andriy Biletsky released a video on Monday, September 7, filmed in Sviatohirsk, a town north of Sloviansk in Ukraine's Donetsk region. The footage shows the town remains under Ukrainian control, despite Russian President Vladimir Putin claiming at a press conference on September 1 that Sviatohirsk had been captured and that the occupation of Donetsk region was proceeding according to plan. This is reported by the US-based think tank Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
Biletsky stated that Ukrainian forces firmly control Sviatohirsk, describing it as a "rear area" for his forces. According to ISW data, as of late spring and early summer Russian forces were positioned about 13 kilometers from the town, and due to subsequent Ukrainian counterattacks that distance may now be even greater.
Contradictory reactions from Russian side
One Russian source attempted to support Putin's claims by publishing an edited archival video purporting to show an occupying presence in Sviatohirsk. However, on the same day another Russian military blogger denied this, claiming Russian forces were not even near the town. Meanwhile, a Kremlin-linked military blogger acknowledged that Biletsky's video clearly demonstrated Ukrainian control over Sviatohirsk.
ISW notes that false reports about supposedly captured settlements create operational problems for Russian forces themselves — they cannot request strikes on locations they claim to control, while neighboring units may plan operations based on an inaccurate battlefield picture. Analysts warn that this unpunished practice of distorted reporting risks producing broader strategic consequences.
Impact on negotiations
ISW emphasizes that the Kremlin nonetheless continues to use this exaggerated picture of supposed gains as a basis for peace talks, demanding Ukraine withdraw from territories Russia has never actually captured. Analysts warn that a durable and lasting peace cannot be built on Kremlin lies, but must instead rest on the real situation on the battlefield, which currently does not favor Russia.
Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has continued since February 24, 2022, while the war itself has lasted since 2014, when Russia occupied Ukraine's Crimean peninsula and launched fighting in Donbas.
