Category
Latest news

Why Russia Didn’t Capture Kupiansk or Pokrovsk: Zelenskyy and OSINT Analysts Push Back

3 min read
Authors
Photo of Vlad Litnarovych
Vlad Litnarovych
News Writer
Illustrative image. Ukrainian servicemen walk along the street on November 1, 2025, in Kostiantynivka, Donetsk region, Ukraine. (Source: Getty Images)
Illustrative image. Ukrainian servicemen walk along the street on November 1, 2025, in Kostiantynivka, Donetsk region, Ukraine. (Source: Getty Images)

Vladimir Putin’s generals briefed him on the “capture” of two Ukrainian cities this weekend—assertions quickly contradicted by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and OSINT analysts, whose battlefield maps show the towns remain contested and far from the sweeping advances Moscow claims.

Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov told Putin that Russian forces had taken Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region and Vovchansk in the Kharkiv region, commanders leading Russia’s “Center” and “East” groupings also claimed progress in Zaporizhzhia and Dnipro regions, including the launch of an operation to seize Huliaipole, during a November 30 briefing.

Independent assessments show the opposite.

Every article pushes back against disinformation. Your support keeps our team in the field.

DONATE NOW

DeepState, a Ukrainian OSINT mapping platform, reports that Russia controls only part of Pokrovsk, with large portions still contested. In Vovchansk, Ukrainian troops hold more than half the city, and most of Huliaipole remains out of Russian hands.

Those findings match assessments from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) and other OSINT communities, which confirm that Ukrainian forces continue active resistance inside all three cities.

An infographic titled “Clashes in the Russia-Ukraine War intensify in the cities of Pokrovsk and Kupiansk” created in Ankara, Turkiye, on November 19, 2025. (Source: Getty Images)
An infographic titled “Clashes in the Russia-Ukraine War intensify in the cities of Pokrovsk and Kupiansk” created in Ankara, Turkiye, on November 19, 2025. (Source: Getty Images)

A Pattern of False Reporting to the Kremlin

DeepState analysts say Russia repeats the same pattern across the front: after clearing a block or neighborhood, commanders immediately declare it “captured,” rotate in new units—and then lose parts of it again.

The same happened in Kupiansk, a city Gerasimov claimed to have fully captured in October, despite OSINT maps showing large areas still contested.

The timing of these inflated reports is striking: Putin is preparing to meet US special envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow, who is expected to present a peace plan discussed with Ukraine.

Putin has said the war will continue until Russia captures the entire region or Ukraine agrees to hand it over at the negotiating table.

Zelenskyy: Russia has advances, “but none of them successful”

Speaking alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected Moscow’s announcements of sweeping victories.

“Russia has made some advances, and there are several offensive actions underway, but none of these operations have been successful,” Zelenskyy said.

He added that Ukrainian forces have “cleared almost all Russian troops out of Kupiansk”, despite Russian claims to control it.

Zelenskyy urged the public to rely on official Ukrainian military briefings rather than media speculation, emphasizing that the front line is a “living, shifting contact line” that changes daily.

He also warned that narratives about Russian advances should be viewed “objectively,” especially during sensitive peace negotiations.

Territory, NATO, and the toughest part of the talks

Negotiations are now focused not on the Geneva framework but on the unresolved issues—especially territory and NATO membership.

The US delegation understands, the official said, that its role is not to pressure Ukraine, but to bring both sides toward an eventual agreement. However, Russia continues to insist on maximalist demands, including Ukraine’s complete withdrawal from the non-occupied parts of Donbas—something Kyiv says is impossible both constitutionally and politically.

Ukraine told the US side that changing its constitution to block NATO membership or giving Russia veto power over NATO enlargement is off the table.

The official added that security guarantees are not a problem area, and that the US views long-term security commitments as essential to any deal.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio reaffirmed that position during the Florida session.

Zelenskyy later said the talks were “constructive” and that he expects a full briefing from his negotiating team.

Earlier, Ukrainian aircraft struck a key route used by Russian infantry to enter the embattled city of Pokrovsk, following the release of footage by Russian troops that revealed their movements.

See all

Help Us Break Through the Algorithm

Your support pushes verified reporting into millions of feeds—cutting through noise, lies, and manipulation. You make truth impossible to ignore.

Join MonthlyGive One Time