Putin claims that in September alone Russia took control of 1,301 square kilometers of Ukraine, and that the pace of his troops is growing. In fact, Russia more likely lost 80. So if the pace is growing, the direction is backward.
The Russian army has a term for this: flag planting. A group gets into a village, takes a photo with a flag and leaves, and the village is declared captured. Promotions, bonuses, a nice report. No real results. Capture on credit is even more brazen: a report declares a place captured, in the hope that someday it really will be.
Commanders at the front lie to their superiors, the superiors lie to the General Staff, and the General Staff lies to Putin. Everyone knows it is a lie and pretends it is true, because it lets Putin simulate a successful war. And some contract soldier pays with his life storming yet another ruined village.
In autumn 2025 the generals reported more than once that they had taken Kupiansk, in eastern Ukraine, and Putin boasted of it. In December Zelensky came to the town. Putin called it staged: having taken Kupiansk on credit himself, he accused Zelensky of flag planting.
On September 1 Putin announced the capture of the Ukrainian town of Sviatohirsk. It fell short even of flag planting: the video was generated by AI. A week later a Ukrainian corps commander was strolling around the town. That did not make Putin even blush.
By some counts, 80% of Russia’s military successes in 2026 are fakes of this kind. If nobody checks, the commander in chief is glad to repeat any nonsense, as long as it confirms success at the front.
Putin needs successes to justify his quarter century in power, and there have been none for the last 15 years. So they are replaced with flag planting. The aging leader wants good news, and if the reports contradict reality, so much the worse for reality.
So keep this in mind” when Putin announces his victories to the world, many of them are preemptive flag planting. His army is not winning the way he says it is. If Putin understands that his troops cannot advance any further, it will be possible to negotiate a ceasefire with him. Until then, all we can seriously talk about is a ceasefire.
Sounds like he’s being exposed. Not nearly as clever as he thinks he is. A certain rat like cunning bit that’s it.
Maybe Ukraine should keep quiet about their advances, like they did for a time with Vivaldi.
The Russian forces might collapse more quickly