Russian citizens are increasingly waking up to the devastating truth behind their dictator’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Frustration is mounting among some Russian commentators and soldiers as the vast chasm widens between what Kremlin propaganda claims and what is actually happening on the battlefield.
Anatoly Radov, a so-called Z-war correspondent and supporter of the invasion, delivered an unusually candid message to his fellow Russians. He criticised the toxic impact of propaganda that portrays endless victories for Russian forces in Ukraine. According to him, these fabricated narratives have fuelled dangerous delusions among the Russian public, many of whom believe the army should already be advancing toward cities like Lviv.
Radov revealed how these fantasies are far from reality. In one supposed success, Russian Telegram channels claimed a “powerful breakthrough” near Grigorovka. In truth, according to Radov, only two Russian assault pairs were deployed and were swiftly neutralised by Ukrainian FPV drones.
He condemned the “armchair patriots” cheering for escalation without understanding the catastrophic losses endured by Russian forces. Russia’s propagandists, he said, have created a “parallel reality” where retreat is masked as strategic repositioning and slaughter is rebranded as heroism.
The scale of Russian losses in Ukraine is becoming harder to hide, with reports indicating significant casualties and minimal territorial gains despite relentless assaults. Experts point out that this disconnect is not accidental but is deliberately sustained by the Kremlin to maintain internal support.
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 with an unrealistic objective—rapid seizure of Kyiv. This objective was never feasible given the inadequacy of the initial military commitment. After suffering major setbacks during Ukrainian counteroffensives in autumn 2022, Russia altered its approach. Rather than bold advances, its forces adopted a slower, more grinding method focused on incremental objectives.
While international headlines focus on other fronts, Ukrainian military expert Mykhailo Zhyrokhov highlighted recent progress by Ukraine’s Armed Forces in the south. He explained that the Russian military had deemed this area quiet and had redeployed units to hotspots like Pokrovsk and Kupyansk.
Ukraine’s military took advantage of this. “They are slowly improving their positions in the south without launching a major offensive,” Zhyrokhov said. “This shows that the command is paying attention to strategic shifts, possibly planning for the future. Russian troops are being pushed back from the so-called grey zone, and this could become a more important theatre soon.”
The propaganda-fed belief that the Russian army is marching westwards triumphantly is being confronted by grim reality.
