Moscow’s “Captured Village” Claim Meets Reality as Ukraine Says Ryasne Is Still Ukrainian

Ukraine has denied Russian claims that Moscow’s forces captured the village of Ryasne in the Sumy region, calling the reports another information operation aimed at creating the illusion of Russian progress along the border, according to Ukraine’s 14th Army Corps on May 26.

Russian sources and military bloggers had circulated claims that Ukrainian forces had lost control of Ryasne, a village in the Krasnopillia community.

The reports were also presented as part of Russia’s effort to create a so-called “buffer zone” along the border.

“The information being massively spread by enemy resources about the alleged capture of the village of Ryasne in the Krasnopillia community of Sumy region by units of Russia’s 34th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade and the ‘defeat’ of Ukrainian forces is another information-psychological operation and does not correspond to reality,” the corps said.

Ukrainian forces said their units continue to hold defensive lines in the area, conduct measures to contain Russian troops, and inflict significant personnel losses on the enemy.

The Joint Forces Group added that Russian statements about supposed “successes” by the 34th Brigade are media manipulation designed to hide Moscow’s own failures.

“The enemy’s attempt to pass off wishful thinking as reality, mentioning the participation of Ukrainian ‘assault groups’ and inventing ‘week-long battles,’ is aimed only at justifying its own failures and creating the illusion of a ‘security strip’ for domestic Russian consumption,” the statement said.

“The settlement is under the control of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and the situation is fully managed,” the military added.

Earlier, Ukrainian forces regained control of the village of Odradne in the Kharkiv region after a coordinated assault involving infantry, drone operators, and artillery units that reportedly cleared Russian positions from nearly 22 square kilometers of territory.

Truth is Under Attack

We report the war as it unfolds directly from the people and places most affected by it. Your support helps us bring these stories to the world.

SUPPORT