ISW: Putin's Svyatohirsk claim is false and undermines Russia's negotiating position

The US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reports that Russian President Vladimir Putin's claim about capturing Svyatohirsk in Donetsk Oblast is false, highlighting a pervasive culture of lying in the Russian military that undermines its combat effectiveness while boosting Kremlin propaganda. Ukrainian forces and a Kremlin-linked military blogger confirmed the claim was fabricated. ISW analysts state that Moscow's insistence on these invented successes supports its maximalist negotiating demands, which include Ukraine's full capitulation and withdrawal from territories Russian troops never occupied. Putin made the claim on September 1, but Ukrainian authorities denied it, and videos purporting to show Russian control were likely AI-generated. A September 7 video showed a Russian commander walking freely in the town, which a pro-Kremlin blogger admitted proved Ukrainian control.