Russia Claims Advances in Ukraine Amidst Ukrainian Counterclaims

Russia's Chief of the General Staff, General Valery Gerasimov, visited front-line positions in Ukraine on September 17, stating that Russian forces are advancing in nearly all directions, with significant activity around Pokrovsk. He highlighted progress in Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Dnipropetrovsk regions, as well as near Kupiansk in Kharkiv Oblast and Yampil further east.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in a September 16 interview, countered these claims, stating that Russia had failed in its last three offensives and is preparing two more large-scale campaigns. He attributed Russian setbacks to significant personnel and equipment losses.

Since November 2022, Russia has gained less than 1% of additional Ukrainian territory, despite its 2025 summer offensive advancing at one of the fastest rates since late 2024. This limited progress contrasts with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s reported aim of capturing the entire Donbas by the end of 2025.

Reports from the battlefield suggest that Russia’s claimed advances are less prominent than described. A Ukrainian commander reported repelling a Russian push near Pokrovsk, while an open-source monitoring group noted Ukrainian successes in a nearby town. Additionally, a spokesperson for a Ukrainian unit near Kupiansk stated that an attempted Russian advance on the city resulted in numerous Russian soldiers being taken prisoner.

The situation remains fluid, with both sides presenting differing accounts of the conflict's progress.