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Ukraine carried out its most significant attack of the year, and Putin didn't even suspect it

Duration: 3:32 498 transcript words EN summary

Video summary

According to a report in the Telegraph, the Russian military command has concealed the true state of affairs at the front from the Kremlin, leading President Vladimir Putin to publicly boast about fictitious successes. A prime example of this deception occurred near Lyman on May 22nd, where Russian officials released footage claiming to have destroyed Ukrainian armored vehicles and halted an attack. However, independent journalists noted that contradictory Ukrainian footage showing a successful defense advance was quickly removed from the internet, while Ukraine deliberately kept the operation's details under wraps to avoid aiding the enemy. The results of this significant counteroffensive suggest that Ukrainian forces have likely cut off the occupied bulge above Lyman and potentially recaptured up to 77 square miles of territory. Emil Kastehelmi, co-founder of the Helsinki War Monitoring Group Blackbird Group, described this as the most important attack of the year, noting that while it may not change the overall strategic picture, it will likely delay Moscow's attempts to break through to the fortress belt cities in Donbas. The world learned of the operation largely due to French OSINT analyst Clement Molin, who published his evidence only after confirming it no longer posed a threat to Ukraine's success. In stark contrast to reality, Putin appeared completely unaware of these developments during a speech on September 1st in Bishkek. When asked about the war's progress, he claimed to have an objective understanding based on conversations with General Valery Gerasimov and falsely stated that Russian troops had captured 14 settlements, including Sviatohirsk. If true, capturing Sviatohirsk would have provided a crucial springboard for seizing the entire Donbas and allowing Russian forces to shell supply routes or complete the encirclement of Lyman, but these claims were based on misinformation rather than fact. OSINT analysts, including Phil Coven, found Putin's assertions amusing given that operational assessments at the time showed Ukraine was confidently in control of Sviatohirsk while advancing in the opposite direction. This highlights a severe disconnect between the reality on the ground and the narrative presented by the Russian leadership to the world. The situation underscores how the Kremlin has been misled by its own military command, resulting in public statements that contradict the actual progress made by Ukrainian forces during this critical phase of the conflict.

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The Russian military command concealed the true state of affairs at the front from the Kremlin, leading dictator Vladimir Putin to publicly boast about the Russian army's fictitious successes, according to a report in the Telegraph. One telling episode was the Ukrainian operation near Lyman. It began on May 22nd. At the time, Russian military officials released a video claiming that at least two Ukrainian armored vehicles had been hit by drones and the attack had supposedly been eliminated. However, journalists point out that Ukrainian footage also appeared online that contradicted these claims and showed the defense forces successful advance. However, it was quickly removed. Subsequently, Ukraine deliberately kept the details of the operation under wraps and independent analysts also refrained from publishing data to avoid aiding the enemy. But the results of this counteroffensive are already becoming clear, the publication noted. The report suggests that Ukrainian forces have likely cut off the occupied bulge above the city of Lyman and potentially recaptured up to 77 square miles or about 199 square kilometers of territory. "I think this is the most important attack of the year," said Emil Kastehelmi, co-founder of the Helsinki War Monitoring Group Blackbird Group. He said this might not change the overall picture, but the attack would likely delay Moscow's attempts to break through to the fortress belt cities that form the backbone of Ukraine's defense in Donbas. As the author writes, the Ukrainian army never officially acknowledged the attack. That the world learned of it at all was largely due to French OSINT analyst Clement Molin, who published the evidence he had collected only after it became clear it no longer posed a threat to the operation's success. As journalists noted, on September 1st in Bishkek, Putin showed no signs of knowing about the Ukrainian counteroffensive in the direction of Lyman. When asked about the progress of the war, he replied that he had just spoken with Chief of the [music] General Staff Valery Gerasimov and therefore had a fairly objective understanding of the situation on the front. The dictator then stated that Russian troops had allegedly captured 14 settlements over the past month, in particular, as of yesterday, the city of Sviatohirsk. If Putin were right about its capture, it would become a crucial springboard for his goal of seizing the entire Donbas. From Sviatohirsk, Russian troops could shell a vital supply route to Sloviansk, [music] a city that marks the northern border of the fortress belt. They could also retreat to complete the encirclement of Lyman, which Ukraine desperately holds after the defeat of Russian forces during the counteroffensive in the Kharkiv region in 2022, the publication explained. But, as noted, Putin was seriously misinformed. "We actually found it quite funny," said OSINT analyst Phil Coven. He explained that at the time of Putin's speech, operational assessments by many OSINT analysts showed that Ukraine was confidently in control of Sviatohirsk, while its forces were advancing in the opposite direction. >> [music]