Russian forces are increasingly using infiltration tactics between Ukrainian positions to create the illusion of large-scale offensives and “successes” on the front, according to a new report from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
Analysts say Moscow is using fragmented defense lines, small infiltration groups, and the dispersal of Ukrainian forces to present local battles as strategic victories, allowing the Kremlin to create a favorable information picture even when combat results are limited.
ISW draws attention to the fact that on October 26, the General Staff of Ukraine recognized the tense situation in the Pokrovsk and Myrnograd area, where the enemy has significantly intensified offensive actions. According to the Ukrainian military, there are about 200 Russian soldiers in Pokrovsk itself, but counter-sabotage operations of the Armed Forces of Ukraine do not allow them to gain a foothold or advance deep into the city.
"Russian troops are achieving only tactical successes in the Pokrovska and Myrnograd areas, which do not indicate a threat of collapse of Ukrainian defenses," the ISW report states.
In addition, the Kremlin actively uses information manipulation, presenting the capture of small settlements without operational significance as “major victories.” In particular, the area of Dronivka is less than six square kilometers, and Pleshchiyivka is less than four, while about 600 people lived there before the war.
At the same time, the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Federation, Valery Gerasimov, stated in his latest report to Putin that "Russian troops continue to carry out the tasks of capturing the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions."
ISW analysts note that such rhetoric repeats the Kremlin's long-standing demands and undermines Moscow's "offers" to exchange control over southern Ukraine for the capture of the entire Donetsk region.
