Vladimir Vladimirovich, everything's a lie?

Russian President Vladimir Putin and the top commanders of the Russian Armed Forces continue, according to the latest report from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), to exaggerate tactical successes to create a false impression that Ukrainian defenses along the entire front are on the verge of collapse.

On Saturday, Putin met with the General Staff leadership as well as commanders of Russian military groups, part of a recent series of publicly promoted meetings between the Russian leader and his commanders over the past weeks.

The Kremlin likely timed this meeting ahead of the Sunday meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Florida, aiming to influence the discussion.

Putin, Chief of the Russian General Staff Valery Gerasimov, and other Russian commanders presented a series of probably exaggerated claims about Russian successes across the front, ISW analysts noted.

For example, the commander of the Russian Central Group of Forces, Colonel-General Valery Solodchuk, claimed that Russian forces had captured Myrnohrad (east of Pokrovsk), which Putin later repeated, along with Rodynske (north of Pokrovsk) and Vilne (east of Dobropillia). Meanwhile, the commander of the Eastern Group, Colonel-General Andrey Ivanaev, claimed that Russian forces had captured Huliai-Pole.

At the current pace, ISW estimates that it would take the Russians until April 1, 2029, to occupy the remaining territory in the four regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson, based on their average advance of 14.4 square kilometers per day during 2025.

Gerasimov reportedly only briefly mentioned Kupiansk to Putin, claiming that the Western Group of Russian Forces was working to eliminate Ukrainian units allegedly blocked on the eastern bank of the Oskil River in Kupiansk, while Ukrainians assert they are clearing the city of Russian forces. ISW analysts suggest that Gerasimov likely limited comments on the Western Group due to strong criticism from pro-war Russian military bloggers, who had previously exposed exaggerations and falsehoods about Kupiansk.

Putin and the Russian command continue to misrepresent planned operations to seize the so-called “fortress belt” in Donetsk as a simple and quick task. This belt consists of four heavily fortified population centers—Kostiantynivka, Druzhkivka, Kramatorsk, and Sloviansk—that form the backbone of Ukrainian defenses in Donetsk Oblast.

While Russian commanders claim progress, ISW reports that evidence suggests Russian forces control only about 5% of Kostiantynivka, and that Ukrainian forces maintain presence in Rodynske, with Russian operations affecting less than half of Myrnohrad. Russian leaders portray tactical gains, such as capturing Sofiivka, as having major operational or strategic significance, while in reality the Ukrainian “fortress belt” is far larger and more populated than any territory recently taken by Russian forces.