Russian commanders 'likely lying to Putin' as Kremlin faces Ukraine war disaster

Russian commanders are using AI-generated videos to claim they've seized Ukrainian towns. 16:31, Sat, Aug 1, 2026 Updated: 16:32, Sat, Aug 1, 2026 Russian commanders have been accused of lying to Putin. (Image: Getty)Russian commanders have been accused of lying to Vladimir Putin about the extent of the military's gains in northern Ukraine. A new study from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) claimed the Russian Northern Grouping of Forces and high military command "are likely" not telling the truth about the four-year-long conflict.This is to push the narrative that Russia is actively advancing across Ukraine, despite the fact that areas of the frontline have largely not moved for two years, the think tank argued. It said Russian commanders are using a "variety of informational tools to support their efforts to aggrandise the extent of Russia's advances".Russian commanders are reportedly exaggerating advances. (Image: Getty)AI-generated footage, for example, has been used to falsely show Russian troops seizing the small settlement of Bilyi Kolodyaz in the Kharkiv region.Elsewhere, the Russian Northern Grouping of Forces and the Ministry of Defence both celebrated the seizure ...