Kremlin Con: Putin Uses Fake Videos to Claim ‘Successful Strikes’ Against Ukraine in Kursk Region
On the left is a screenshot of the Defense Ministry's video about a strike on Ukrainian forces “in the border region of Kursk Oblast.” On the right is a screenshot of a map near Kreminna, Luhansk Oblast, Ukraine.
The Russian Defense Ministry has released videos purportedly showcasing the Russian army's successes in battles against Ukrainian forces in the Kursk Region.
On August 10, the state-run RIA Novosti, citing the ministry, shared footage of “Russian Mi-28NM helicopters hitting Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) manpower and armored vehicles in the Kursk Region border area with S-13 air missiles.”
However, the video were determined to actually have been filmed in Ukraine’s Kreminna and Chasiv Yar.
On August 9, the Defense Ministry also released a video claiming to depict new Russian military strikes against the AFU in Sumy Oblast.
The video description stated that a Russian Su-34 multirole supersonic fighter-bomber targeted AFU troops and equipment at a temporary deployment site in Sumy Oblast, near the Kursk Region.
The strike reportedly involved a FAB-3000 aviation bomb with a universal planning and correction module, and reconnaissance confirmed the destruction of the targets. However, this video was previously published by the Russian state-run news agency TASS on July 14, raising questions about its timeliness.
The AFU launched an offensive on Russia's Kursk Region, bordering Ukraine, on August 6. By August 9, photographic evidence confirmed the presence of Ukrainian troops in the town of Sudzha.
Despite claims from Russian pro-war Telegram channels that the arrival of Russian reinforcements had stabilized the situation, Ukrainian forces reportedly remain on the offensive, aiming to break through to the town of Rylsk.
The pro-war Telegram channel Dva Maiora (translated as “Two Majors”) indicated that dislodging Ukrainian forces from the Kursk Region wouldn't be a quick task, as they have already begun fortifying their positions and establishing supply lines.
Russian “war correspondent” Yury Kotenok reported that after regrouping, AFU units resumed assaults on the district center of Korenevo, supported by armored vehicles.
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He confirmed the presence of Ukrainian forces in the villages of Snagosti, Olgovka and Mirny, and mentioned ongoing battles for Martynovka.
Dva Maiora also claimed that Russian forces have entered the village of Malaya Loknya and are allegedly conducting sweeps of the area.
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