Ukraine on Saturday, October 17, 2026, flatly rejected Russia's claim of sweeping battlefield advances since September 1, with the General Staff dismissing the reported gains as an "illusion" manufactured for Moscow's political leadership and domestic audience.
Gerasimov's Report: 92 Settlements and 1,800 sq km
On Friday, October 16, Chief of Russia's General Staff Valery Gerasimov briefed President Vladimir Putin and reported that Russian forces had captured 92 Ukrainian settlements and more than 1,800 square kilometers (695 square miles) of territory since September 1, including the eastern town of Dobropillia. During a separate visit to the command post of Russia's Joint Grouping of Forces the same day, Putin claimed Russian troops had captured about 6,500 square kilometers since the beginning of the year.
Kyiv's Rebuttal: "An Illusion"
Ukraine's General Staff spokesman Andriy Kovaliov dismissed the claims as false in an emailed statement: "In fact, through their active operations, the Ukrainian Defense Forces have liberated more territory since the beginning of autumn than the enemy has managed to capture." He added: "The Russian military leadership continues to create an illusion of major victories for its political leadership and domestic audience."
Kovaliov rejected specific Russian claims of reaching the outskirts of Kramatorsk and advancing in the suburbs of Sloviansk. Dobropillia, southwest of the two cities, remains under Ukrainian control despite sustained Russian attacks, and the front line near Zaporizhzhia has stayed about 22 kilometers from the regional capital, contrary to Gerasimov's claim that Russian troops were within 5 kilometers.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) separately disputed the Kremlin's figures, reporting that Russian forces suffered a net loss of 122 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory since September 1. The claims even sparked outrage among pro-war Russian military bloggers, some of whom called them "an outright disgrace."
The Fortress Belt and the Winter Ahead
Russian forces have been pressuring the so-called "fortress belt" cities of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, whose capture would move Moscow closer to seizing all of the industrialized Donetsk region. Both sides have intensified their air campaigns: Russia fired hundreds of ballistic missiles over the summer and early autumn and is expected to target heating and power infrastructure this winter, while Ukraine has launched hundreds of long-range drone strikes on Russian refineries, ships, and warehouses. Reuters noted it could not independently verify either side's battlefield claims.
Music in this post's reel: Kevin MacLeod - Lightless Dawn (incompetech.com), licensed under CC BY 3.0
Sources: Arab News (Reuters reporting, Oct 17, 2026) · The Straits Times (Oct 17, 2026) · New Voice of Ukraine (Oct 17, 2026)