Rebellion against Russia's top general Gerasimov; false news of victory leads to general's ouster

追加: 2026-05-23

[00:00:04]The Russian Ministry of Defense continues to report imaginary successes on the front in Ukraine. In mid-May, the military department reported the capture of the village of Borova in the Kharkiv region. However, by that point, Ukrainian forces had managed to drive Russian troops out of the village, according to the largest Z channel by subscribers, Rybar. According to the channel, in late April, Russian units carried out a series of attacks and seized buildings in Borova, but by early May, the supply lines to the assault units were disrupted and they retreated, according to The Moscow Times. However, after this, videos began to appear, allegedly confirming the capture of Borova. Most of them were filmed 25 km from the [music] village, in the village of Kolomyichikha, which has long been under Russian military control.

[00:00:58]Interestingly, Kolomyichikha is not the first time it has served as a backdrop for false reports. Previously, [music] they filmed the control of Novoplatonivka after a disastrous assault, noted Rybar. Similarly, according to the report, footage from the rear-line town of Tavolzhanka was passed off as control of Kupiansk.

[00:01:19]Meanwhile, the false report of the capture of Borova became an excuse for Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov to congratulate the soldiers of the 423rd Guards Motorized Rifle Regiment on this success. He thanked the command and the soldiers for the [music] accomplishment of their missions and service. Previously, Chief of the Russian General Staff Valery Gerasimov announced the capture of Borova. Last November, he also announced [music] the liberation of Kupiansk, which the Russian army still does not control.

[00:01:51]>> [music] >> Gerasimov had already reported the capture of Kotkivka and Velyka Shapkivka, which are located west of Kupiansk. Furthermore, he claimed that 85% of Krasny Lyman was under Russian control, while Z channels reported that fighting was only taking place on the outskirts of the city with no significant changes in the situation. In reality, the Russian army's advance in Ukraine slowed and practically halted in May. According to data from the Ukrainian monitoring channel Deep State, Russian troops captured 29 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory in 11 days in May.

[00:02:29]>> [music] >> In January, they managed to capture 245 square kilometers, and in February, March, and April, the pace of the advance was 120 to 160 square kilometers. The slowdown was due to intensified attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on Russian logistics. Now, to capture 1 square kilometer of Ukrainian territory, Russian troops need to conduct an average [music] of 36 attacks. So, Russia's top general, Valery Gerasimov, has claimed sweeping territorial gains in Ukraine that sharply diverge from independent battlefield data, prompting rare public criticism from pro-Kremlin voices.

[00:03:11]Analysts and [music] even Russian military bloggers accuse commanders of inflating reports with think tank data showing far smaller advances. The backlash underscores a growing credibility gap that could weaken the Kremlin's wartime narrative. The backlash against inflated war claims mirrors broader criticism from figures like influencer Victoria Bonya, who warned Putin that officials hide the truth from him. With approval ratings slipping, the Kremlin's reliance on the misled leader narrative is under strain.

[00:03:42]Growing public and insider skepticism could make it harder to maintain domestic support for the war effort.

[00:04:01]>> Woo!

[00:04:04]Woo!