Russia is using AI-generated videos to spread disinformation about its successes near Kostiantynivka, according to the ISW
Russia is using AI-generated videos to spread false information about its alleged successes in the Kostiantynivka area of Donetsk Oblast.
According to the ISW, videos appeared online on June 15 showing Russian troops displaying Russian flags in areas near Kostiantynivka and in the village of Dovha Balka.
On the same day, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced the alleged capture of Dovha Balka.
Analysts suggest that this footage may have been generated or significantly altered using AI, consistent with the Kremlin’s previous disinformation campaigns aimed at exaggerating its successes on the front lines.
Brigadier General Oleksandr Bakulin, commander of the 19th Army Corps of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, stated that Russia is conducting a separate information operation around Kostiantynivka.
He noted that Russian commanders have already reported the alleged capture of the city and are attempting to find confirmation of these claims directly on the ground.
Bakulin also reported that a video by the Russian Federation’s 4th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade showing flags was part of this campaign. After it was filmed, the positions that appeared in the footage were struck by Ukrainian forces.
Despite Moscow’s claims, Ukrainian military officials do not confirm that Russia has full control over Kostiantynivka.
According to Bakulin, there may be between 93 and 153 Russian saboteurs in the city, while Russian claims of 250–300 troops are overstated.
The ISW emphasizes that the Russian Ministry of Defense and propaganda outlets systematically exaggerate the significance of local tactical advances.
Similar information campaigns have been used before regarding Pokrovsk and Chasiv Yar, when a narrative was created about the alleged “inevitable loss” of Ukrainian cities.
Analysts believe that Russia is attempting to use such statements to exert political pressure on Ukraine’s Western partners and influence decisions regarding support for Kyiv.
At the same time, according to ISW assessments, even possible Russian tactical advances in the Kostiantynivka area do not mean a rapid breakthrough of Ukrainian defenses or the capture of the entire “fortress belt” of Donetsk Oblast.
This is reported by analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
Total combat losses of the Russian army since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine have exceeded 1.385 million personnel.
The Ukrainian Defense Forces have significantly intensified strikes against Russian logistics along the so-called “land corridor” to Crimea. Since May, at least 375 attacks on trucks, fuel tankers, and other occupier vehicles have been recorded.
During May 2026, 1,099 Russian invaders, 119 units of enemy weaponry and military equipment, as well as 36 other targets.
