Commander of the Air Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleh Apostol, told journalists that Russian units frequently use flag-raising as a way to demonstrate control over territories even when positions have not actually been captured or held. According to him, this practice is linked to the problem of inaccurate reporting within the Russian military vertical. This was reported by RBC-Ukraine.
Flag as an Indicator, Not a Result
Apostol explained that after reports emerged from the Ukrainian side regarding the results of combat operations, Russian military personnel, according to his information, attempted to re-verify information about control over certain sectors. In particular, the commander described cases where Russian servicemen headed to positions specifically to plant flags. In his estimation, the appearance of the tricolor at a specific point does not always indicate that it has been taken and is being held by the enemy.
Inaccurate Reporting in Command
The Air Assault Forces commander tied this practice to a systemic problem in the Russian military hierarchy — unreliable reporting. According to him, lower-level commanders may mislead senior command regarding the actual situation on the battlefield, and raising a flag becomes a way to "fix" a result they claim to have achieved.
Slowing Pace of the Offensive
Earlier, Oleh Apostol stated that the advance rate of the Russian army has slowed significantly. According to him, capturing a separate settlement over the course of a month does not constitute an operational success that allows the enemy to develop an offensive. Among the reasons for the slowdown, the commander cited significant losses among Russian troops.
Kostiantynivka Demining Video Called Into Question
The context for these statements was an incident involving video material published by the Russian Ministry of Defense as footage of the demining of Kostiantynivka. According to an OSINT researcher, at least two fragments were filmed in Toretsk and Pivnichne. At the same time, Russia claimed the full capture of Kostiantynivka, whereas, according to available information, fighting for the city continues.
Thus, according to the Ukrainian command's assessment, visual markers of control — including flags and video evidence — increasingly require additional verification, as they do not always correspond to the actual situation on the contact line.
