Russian claims about a “cauldron” and Dobropillia do not hold up, says Latvian officer Slaidiņš
Major Jānis Slaidiņš of the Latvian National Armed Forces said on TV24 that some Russian claims of battlefield success in Ukraine remain unconfirmed. Ukrainian forces, meanwhile, are trying to widen their positions in the Lyman direction.
Russia's military leadership keeps announcing successes in the war in Ukraine, but some of these claims fail scrutiny even among Russian military "Z" channels. This was noted on 28 October by Jānis Slaidiņš, a major in the Latvian National Armed Forces and a staff officer of the Latvian Home Guard (Zemessardze), on the TV24 programme "Aktuālais par karadarbību Ukrainā". His assessment matters because it shows that reports of captured territory do not always match the situation on the ground.
An unclear “cauldron” in Kharkiv region
Slaidiņš turned to Kharkiv region, where the Russian force grouping "West" reportedly announced the elimination of an encirclement of Ukrainian forces, a so-called "cauldron". According to the major, it is unclear which encirclement is meant, since none of the "Z" channels know anything about it. The independent Russian outlet The Insider wrote that the grouping reported destroying a Ukrainian "cauldron" that does not exist.
Kupiansk and Lyman
In the Kupiansk direction, Russian forces are trying to advance toward the city from the north. Fighting there has recently intensified, but several Russian claims of captured settlements have not been independently confirmed. Analysts at the US Institute for the Study of War noted that some Russian sources themselves doubt the Moscow general staff's reports of success around Kupiansk.
In the Lyman direction, Ukrainian forces have begun fighting on the eastern bank of the Zherebets river. Ukraine had already established bridgehead positions there, and soldiers are now trying to expand them. The Insider reported that Ukrainian assault units crossed the river.
Dispute over Dobropillia
Russia has announced the capture of Dobropillia, a city in Donetsk region, and online material has appeared showing Russian soldiers with a flag. Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Ukrainian president's office, categorically rejected this, saying the city is under Ukrainian control. He accused Andrei Ivanayev, commander of the Russian grouping "Centre", of knowingly giving Vladimir Putin false information. Reuters also reported that Ukraine had rejected the Russian general staff's claims.
Open sources mention small groups of Russian soldiers trying to infiltrate the city's outskirts and film propaganda videos, but this does not amount to stable military control. Slaidiņš described the "capture" of Dobropillia as having taken place at the level of propaganda and artificially created images. Heavy fighting continues in several directions, with an information war running alongside it.
