Russian War Bloggers Accuse General Staff Head Gerasimov of Misleading Putin About Kupiansk

Bloggers Challenge Gerasimov’s Claims

Russian military bloggers and analysts have openly questioned General Valery Gerasimov’s reports on the situation in Kupiansk, disputing his statement to President Putin about Russian control over the city and suspecting the information was exaggerated or misleading.

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Discontent Among Pro-War Channels

Several influential Z-channels, such as “Voennyi Osvedomitel,” accused Gerasimov of dramatically overstating Russian successes in Kupiansk.
Another channel said Gerasimov “once again painted a picture of victory” for Putin, referring to both Pokrovsk and Kupiansk, and called the claim that about 15 Ukrainian battalions were “blocked” near Kupiansk-Uzlovyi “shocking”.
Channels close to the Russian Defense Ministry dismissed reports of Kupiansk’s capture as “smoke and mirrors” and called the claims “eyewash”.

Quotes from Military Bloggers

The declaration of a “complete liberation” of Kupiansk looked like “racing ahead of the train,” adding, “Where the 18 Ukrainian battalions previously declared ‘encircled’ in Kupiansk disappeared to is unknown.”[3][4][1]

Gerasimov’s statement about the complete liberation of Kupiansk has not yet been illustrated by objective control footage.[4][3]

Gerasimov, with his boastful ‘ahead-of-time’ reports, is once again running ahead of the situation, hoping that the reality on the ground will soon catch up with his accounts.[4]

To bring logistics under fire control does not mean to encircle.[4]

Ukrainian Reaction

Ukrainian officials promptly refuted Gerasimov’s statements, maintaining that Kupiansk is not under Russian control and describing claims of encircled forces as false. Ukrainian President Zelensky directly called the Russian army’s report “a lie”.

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Expert and Analyst Criticism

A U.S.-based think tank stated there is no clear evidence to support Gerasimov’s assertions of encirclements in Kupiansk or Pokrovsk.
Military experts and some Russian correspondents described Gerasimov’s reports as “premature,” suggesting they were meant for information warfare rather than factual battlefield updates.

Recent Reinforcements

Reports surfaced about Russia pulling elite reserves to reinforce offensives toward Pokrovsk, though tangible battlefield gains remain unverified.

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Author's Resume

This article shows a growing rift between pro-war Russian bloggers and official reports, with skepticism mounting over claims of military successes in Kupiansk and widespread accusations of disinformation from the top command.

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UNITED24 Media — 2025-11-20