This is not the first time senior Russian officials have claimed progress that does not translate to actual results on the battlefield.
Despite claims by senior Russian officials, the Ukrainian military continues to hold out in two key besieged towns in the Donbas.
Russian officials have claimed control over Siversk and Pokrovsk. However, reports from the ground suggest that the Ukrainian military maintains a varying degree of presence in the two urban centers.
Russia’s Specious Claims About the Ukraine War
In its latest intelligence estimate on the Ukrainian conflict, the British Ministry of Defence focused on the inaccurate Russian claims about progress on the ground.
“Claims from Russian military commanders on 11 December 2025 that Russian Ground Forces (RGF) have taken complete control of the Ukrainian town of Siversk, northern Donetsk, are likely inaccurate,” the British Ministry of Defence assessed.
The Russian forces are making sincere efforts to infiltrate the Ukrainian town by using adverse weather conditions to avoid Ukrainian suicide drones and artillery. The latest reports also indicate that Russian units have likely taken positions within the center of Siversk. However, Moscow is not in complete control of the town.
Indeed, Ukrainian forces likely continue to be in and contest western parts of the town, preventing the Russian military from taking complete control of Siversk.
The Ukrainian town of Siversk has long been in the crosshairs of the Russian military. Its position serves as a screen to Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, the two largest remaining Ukrainian cities in the Donetsk Oblast. The Russian forces have launched repeated assaults against the town over a period of several months but have thus far failed to capture it completely.
This is not the first time senior Russian officials have claimed progress that does not translate to actual results on the battlefield. For example, the Kremlin has also claimed complete control over Pokrovsk, a key logistics hub in the Donbas.
“Ukrainian forces likely continue to retain a limited capability to launch small-scale raids into the northern part of the city, contesting full Russian control and delaying Russian efforts at consolidation,” the British Ministry of Defence stated about the situation in and around Pokrovsk.
The Russian military has tried to capture Pokrovsk for nearly two years. It is going to succeed in the next days or weeks unless the Ukrainian military manages to upend the Kremlin’s plan by launching a successful counteroffensive in the direction of the city.
Heavy Losses on the Battlefield in Ukraine
Against the backdrop of these statements about Siversk and Pokrovsk, the Russian military continues to suffer heavy casualties on the ground.
According to the British Ministry of Defence, the Russian military, paramilitary units, and pro-Russian separatist forces have taken nearly 400,000 casualties (killed and wounded) so far in 2025. Russian forces continue to sustain heavy losses in operations across the contact line. If Russia persists in losing troops at the current rate in the next fortnight, the Russian casualty numbers can reach last year’s figure of approximately 420,000 losses.
Overall, the Ukrainian General Staff assesses that the Russian forces have lost approximately 1.2 million troops, about 250,000 of which are killed. That means that more soldiers than Russia’s entire initial invasion force (around 190,000) have been killed in the conflict.
About the Author: Stavros Atlamazoglou
Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.
Image: Shutterstock.
