The Kremlin spread a false claim that Ukrainian forces were surrounded on the front lines, according to ISW

The Russian Ministry of Defense and military bloggers have stepped up their claims that Ukrainian troops have been allegedly surrounded on several fronts. At the same time, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) has found no evidence to support these claims, and some Russian military bloggers have also begun to cast doubt on them.

Analysts believe that the escalation of such claims may be part of a Russian information campaign aimed at creating the impression of an alleged collapse of Ukrainian defenses.

On September 23, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced the capture of Krasny Yar and Potikhonovo in the northeastern part of the Kharkiv region. Following this, Russian military bloggers began claiming that the advance allegedly posed a threat to encircle Ukrainian troops in Riznykove and had completed the encirclement of Ukrainian Armed Forces units in Rublene.

One Russian blogger claimed that between the Velykoburlutsk and Vovchansk sectors, approximately 1,500 Ukrainian servicemen were allegedly surrounded in an area of about 460 square kilometers.

At the same time, the ISW found no evidence to support these claims. Analysts note that Russian and Ukrainian positions in northern Kharkiv Oblast are largely intermingled, making it impossible to clearly determine control over the territory there. A representative of the Ukrainian brigade also reported that there is no clear front line in this sector.

The Russian side is spreading claims about the alleged encirclement of Ukrainian forces in the Dobropillia area as well.

A military blogger linked to the Kremlin reported on the advance of Russian troops near Virivka and their incursion toward Bilozerske, Vodyane, and Novotroitske.

At the same time, as the ISW points out, this blogger did not claim that Russian troops had established a foothold in those settlements and did not provide evidence of a physical encirclement of Ukrainian units.

According to the Institute for the Study of War, there is no evidence of the encirclement of Ukrainian troops claimed by Russia, neither in the north of the Kharkiv region nor in the Dobropillya area.

Ukrainian military officials are also reporting a different situation on the front lines.

On September 23, the 1st Corps of the Ukrainian National Guard “Azov” stated that Ukrainian forces had thwarted attempts by Russian troops to physically cut off logistics routes. According to the corps, the enemy attempted to use these routes to rapidly encircle Druzhkivka and launch a subsequent offensive toward Dobropillia.

A representative of the Ukrainian brigade operating in the Vovchansk direction, in turn, stated that Russian troops continue to shell settlements that Russian sources themselves have included in the alleged “encirclement” zone.

The ISW believes this may indicate that Russian forces do not have control over these settlements.

At the same time, some Russian military bloggers have also begun to dispute claims of a complete encirclement. One of them described the situation near Dobropillia as fire control over Ukrainian logistics routes, rather than a continuous presence of Russian infantry. Another stated that reports of encirclement in various sectors of the front exaggerate the Russian army’s successes.

ISW analysts believe that the surge in reports of alleged encirclement of Ukrainian troops may be linked to recent successes by the Ukrainian Defense Forces in priority sectors of the front.

According to the Institute for the Study of War, such statements may be used to divert attention from Ukrainian advances and to shape a narrative about the alleged collapse of Ukrainian defenses.

At the same time, the ISW notes that neither Ukrainian nor Russian sources have provided evidence of the complete physical encirclement of Ukrainian units, as claimed by certain representatives of the Russian side.

This is stated in the ISW report dated September 23, 2026. 

Earlier, the Center for Countering Disinformation reported on a new Russian AI campaign on TikTok using fake images of Ukrainian veterans. According to the Center, such videos are intended to undermine trust in the state and divide Ukrainian society.

In Russia, a false story began circulating that 49-year-old Israeli Yonatan Karlinski-Mashak, who also holds Ukrainian citizenship, was detained at the Ukrainian-Romanian border after a trip to Uman. After his documents were checked, the man was allegedly taken to a military facility near Odesa, where he is undergoing the enlistment process for the Ukrainian military.