--- title: "Flags Instead of Control: How Russian Units Simulate Position Seizures, According to Apostol" description: "Commander of the Ukrainian Air Assault Forces Oleh Apostol stated that Russian troops plant flags to simulate capturing positions without always holding them, linking this to inaccurate reporting in the military command." date: 2026-11-13T12:29:25.346Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/russian-units-simulate-position-seizures-with-flags tags: [russia-ukraine-war, military, osint, konstantinovka, usha-forces] author: "Andrey Kosynko" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Flags Instead of Control: How Russian Units Simulate Position Seizures, According to Apostol ![A group of Russian servicemen in helmets and with rifles from behind against the backdrop of the Russian flag](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/13/rossiyanie-ustanavlivayut-flagi-chtoby-imitirovat-zahvat-pozitsiy/rossiyanie-ustanavlivayut-flagi-chtoby-imitirovat-zahvat-pozitsiy-1.webp) ## Key Points - According to Ukrainian Air Assault Forces Commander Oleh Apostol, Russian units plant flags to demonstrate control over territories even if positions are not captured or held. - Apostol linked this practice to the problem of inaccurate reporting in the Russian military vertical, where lower-level commanders may mislead senior command. - The commander also reported a significant slowdown in the advance rate of the Russian army, attributing it to heavy troop losses. - An OSINT researcher found that parts of the video regarding the demining of Kostiantynivka published by the Russian Ministry of Defense were filmed in Toretsk and Pivnichne, although Russia claimed the city was fully captured. 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. ## Accounts differ ### Status of Kostiantynivka and Authenticity of the Demining Video - **Russian Ministry of Defense:** Kostiantynivka has been fully captured; the published video demonstrates the demining of the city ([rbc.ua](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/prapor-oznachae-zahoplennya-apostol-poyasniv-1794565322.html)) - **OSINT Researcher:** At least two fragments of the video were filmed in Toretsk and Pivnichne, not Kostiantynivka; fighting for the city continues ([rbc.ua](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/prapor-oznachae-zahoplennya-apostol-poyasniv-1794565322.html)) *Where they agree:* The Russian Ministry of Defense published a video clip which it described as the demining of Kostiantynivka ## Fact-Check & Sources - [Россияне устанавливают флаги, чтобы имитировать захват позиций, - Апостол](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/prapor-oznachae-zahoplennya-apostol-poyasniv-1794565322.html) - Primary source: statement by Ukrainian Air Assault Forces Commander Oleh Apostol during a meeting with journalists. The fact of the speech is confirmed; the content (simulating control with flags, inaccurate reports, slowing offensive) is a unilateral military assessment. The discrepancy regarding the Kostiantynivka demining video is cited with reference to an OSINT researcher in the same source. ## FAQ ### What did Oleh Apostol state about the raising of Russian flags? According to him, Russian servicemen headed to certain positions to plant flags in order to demonstrate control over territories, even when those positions were not actually captured or held. ### What did the Air Assault Forces commander link this practice to? Apostol tied it to the problem of inaccurate reporting within the Russian military vertical, believing that lower-level commanders may mislead senior command regarding the real situation on the battlefield. ### What is known about the Kostiantynivka demining video? The Russian Ministry of Defense published a clip it presented as the demining of Kostiantynivka. An OSINT researcher established that at least two fragments were filmed in Toretsk and Pivnichne, while Russia claimed full capture of the city, although fighting for it continues.