Ukraine’s military has rejected Russian claims that its forces have captured the towns of Myrnohrad in the Donetsk region and Huliaipole in the Zaporizhzhia region, calling the statements false and part of a disinformation campaign aimed at foreign partners.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said defensive operations were continuing in both locations and that Russian reports of territorial gains were “not supported by facts”.

“The senior political leadership of the aggressor state is once again resorting to spreading fake statements about significant ‘successes’ of the Russian army on the battlefield,” the General Staff said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that Russian forces had captured Myrnohrad and Huliaipole as part of what Moscow calls its “special military operation”, describing the advances as creating “favourable conditions” for further action in the Donetsk region.

He reiterated that Russia would pursue its objectives by force if Kyiv did not accept its terms for ending the conflict.

Ukraine’s General Staff said the situation in Huliaipole remained difficult but that Ukrainian troops were continuing to repel Russian infantry assaults inside the town.

It added that Russian claims of controlling half of the city of Kostiantynivka in Donetsk region were also fabricated.

According to the statement, Russian forces attempted an armoured assault near Kostiantynivka on 26 December, but two tanks equipped for mine clearance were destroyed and accompanying infantry units were hit by Ukrainian drones.

The Ukrainian military said similar false claims had previously been made by Moscow about the capture of Kupiansk and Pokrovsk, arguing that such statements had intensified during ongoing peace negotiations.

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“It is obvious that Russia’s lies are primarily aimed at foreign partners,” the General Staff said, adding that the claims would not affect Ukraine’s diplomatic position or further diplomatic work.

The comments came amid intensified Russian missile and drone attacks on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, and ahead of a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. President Donald Trump on efforts to end the war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Independent verification of battlefield claims remains difficult, as access to front-line areas is restricted and information from both sides is tightly controlled.

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