Azov denied that three villages in the Donetsk region had been captured

The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed to have captured Zolotyi Kolodyazh, Novotroitske, and Petrivka in the Donetsk region. However, these reports are not true. This was reported by the 1st Corps of the Ukrainian National Guard “Azov.” According to military sources, all three settlements remain under the control of units from the “Bureviy” Brigade and other units of the Ukrainian Defense Forces.

“These statements are not true. All three settlements remain under the control of units from the ‘Bureviy’ Brigade and other units of the Ukrainian Defense Forces,” the “Azov” Brigade emphasized.

The Russians are attempting to portray isolated raids as territorial gains

Ukrainian military officials explain that to create the illusion of an advance, Russian units are using the tactic of infiltrating small infantry groups into populated areas. These groups attempt to enter a specific territory unnoticed, raise the Russian flag, and film the act. The Russian side then uses the footage as alleged proof of the capture of the settlement. At the same time, the mere appearance of the flag does not mean that Russian forces have established control there and can hold their positions.

The “Azov” unit notes that Ukrainian defenders are identifying such groups and eliminating them. According to military officials, the Russian side is attempting in this way to create the impression of success on the front lines, even when it fails to consolidate its positions.

Ukrainian military reports casualties for the sake of propaganda footage

The corps also emphasizes that Russian propaganda uses staged videos to report on non-existent victories. According to Ukrainian military estimates, for the sake of a few shots for such segments, the Russian command sends soldiers on missions where they have no real chance of holding their ground. “Dozens of Russian servicemen are dying for the sake of a few shots for propaganda stories; the command sends them on missions with no real chance of holding ground in these territories,” Azov stated.

The military added that the coordinated efforts of units from the “Bureviy” Brigade and other components of the Defense Forces are helping to thwart the Russian troops’ plans and preventing them from establishing control over Zolotyi Kolodyazh, Novotroitske, and Petrivka. The corps emphasized that statements by the Russian Ministry of Defense do not change the situation on the ground. According to their data, all three settlements remain under the control of the Ukrainian military, and attempts by Russian assault troops to create the appearance of success are resulting in losses for them.

“The Russian Ministry of Defense can announce as many fabricated victories as it likes, but these statements do not change reality: the settlements remain under the control of the Ukrainian Defense Forces, and Russian assault troops continue to die for the sake of propaganda,” the military stated. The 1st Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine “Azov” published a report on the situation in the Donetsk region on its Telegram channel.

Thanks to the rapid development of drone technology, Russian assault troops—who are essentially sent on one-way missions—are increasingly becoming the butt of jokes among Ukrainian defenders. The “Azov” Corps played on this theme in a parody titled “The Fellowship of the End,” inspired by “The Lord of the Rings.”

Ukrainian paramedic and “Azovstal” defender Kateryna Polishchuk, call sign “Ptashka,” received the Lord Ashcroft International Award for Bravery. The award ceremony took place during the Warsaw Security Forum in Poland on October 12–13.

Over the past three days, Ukrainian troops have inflicted significant losses on the Russian army at the front. In the area of responsibility of the “Azov” military group alone, more than a thousand Russian occupiers were neutralized, 702 of whom were killed.