Russian military faces backlash over fake video claiming village capture amid ongoing Ukrainian resistance
In a dramatic turn of events, the Russian military is reportedly scrambling to capture a small village in the Luhansk region, despite having previously claimed its takeover on paper.
In an alleged attempt to conceal the truth, Russia has produced fake videos purporting to show control of the village, but even pro-Kremlin propagandists have expressed skepticism.
On January 20th, the Russian Ministry of Defense claimed the village was entirely under Russian control. Contradicting these assertions, frontline reports and Russian sources indicate that the situation is far from settled.
Ukrainian project DeepState confirms that Novoyehorivka remains under the control of Ukrainian Armed Forces, with active engagement lines skirting the village outskirts. Despite its minimal strategic value, Russian commanders seem anxious to capture the village to substantiate their prior announcements.
On January 26th, a pro-Russian Defense Ministry channel released footage reportedly showing the Russian flag raised in Novoyehorivka. The video, however, drew suspicion, even among loyalist propagandists.
A noted Z-channel denounced the footage as fake, suggesting that officials chose to "simulate occupation in a virtual reality." Recognizable landmarks were conspicuously absent, and the location remained unverified.
According to the same source, recent unprepared assaults on the village have led to significant Russian army casualties. This pursuit of illusory victories appears to come at the cost of invaluable human lives.
According to a 2001 population census, Novoyehorivka housed only 36 residents. Persistent combat has rendered the village nearly uninhabitable. Still, Russian forces commit troops and equipment to assaults, sacrificing lives and resources for marginal tactical objectives and fictional progress reports.
Such actions by the Russian military—fabrication of successes and pointless offensives—are becoming a norm amidst the drawn-out conflict. In capturing deserted plantations and razed villages, Russia incurs massive losses that deplete its human resources and prolong its aggressive campaign.