--- title: "\"Fantasizing for Putin\": Zelenskyy Denies Gerasimov's Claims on Frontline Advances" description: "On October 18, Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced full control by the Armed Forces of Ukraine over seven settlements and refuted Valery Gerasimov's report on Russian frontline advances in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions." date: 2026-10-18T15:06:36.858Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/zelenskyy-denies-gerasimov-frontline-claims tags: [ukraine, zelensky, gerasimov, frontline, dobropillia, war] author: "Alexander Buran" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # "Fantasizing for Putin": Zelenskyy Denies Gerasimov's Claims on Frontline Advances ![Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a black sweater against the backdrop of the deployed national flag of Ukraine.](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/18/zelensky-oproverzhet-zayavleniya-gerasimova-o-fronte/zelensky-oproverzhet-zayavleniya-gerasimova-o-fronte-1.webp) ## Key Points - Zelenskyy announced full control by the Armed Forces of Ukraine over Dobropillia, Kostiantynivka, Oleksievo-Druzhkivka, Orikhiv, Novopavlivka, Novoandriivka, and Velykomykhailivka - The statement was made on October 18 after a report by Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Mykhailo Drapatyi and served as a response to Gerasimov's report to Putin - According to the president, the enemy is being destroyed 20 km from Zaporizhzhia, not 5 as claimed in the Russian report - The General Staff of Ukraine officially denied Gerasimov's data on October 18; Russian bloggers publicly criticized the head of the Russian General Staff On October 18, 2026, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, after hearing a report from the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Mykhailo Drapatyi, publicly outlined what he called the real state of affairs at the front. In his address, the head of state stated that the Defense Forces of Ukraine fully control Dobropillia, Kostiantynivka, Oleksievo-Druzhkivka, Orikhiv, Novopavlivka, Novoandriivka, and Velykomykhailivka, and are also defending areas near Kramatorsk. This was reported by RBC-Ukraine with reference to Zelenskyy's Telegram post. ### Response to Gerasimov's Report The president's speech essentially served as a response to the statements made by Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov in his report to Russian leader Vladimir Putin. According to Zelenskyy, these reports present a picture that does not correspond to reality. "We are destroying Russians 20 kilometers from Zaporizhzhia, not five, as someone there in Russia is fantasizing to Putin," the Ukrainian president stated, directly pointing out the discrepancy between the data of the Russian General Staff and the situation on the contact line. ### Frontline: 20 Kilometers, Not Five Zelenskyy separately focused on the situation in Dobropillia. According to him, the Defense Forces are not only repelling assaults but also preventing Russian infiltrations in this area. The head of state acknowledged that the overall situation is difficult, but the defenders are holding their positions. He also noted that Ukrainian positions are "standing firm" in other areas of the Donetsk, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhzhia regions. ### Active Defense and Territorial Balance Commenting on the course of hostilities, Zelenskyy mentioned the results of operations by the Air Assault Forces and the 3rd Army Corps, which he called elements of "active defense." He claimed that the current year's trend continues: since the beginning of autumn, Ukrainian warriors have liberated more territory than Russian troops managed to capture, and a similar picture, according to him, was observed in other periods of the year. ### Reaction in Russia and Denial by the General Staff of Ukraine To recap, on October 18, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine officially denied Gerasimov's claims about the advance of Russian troops in the Donetsk region and Zaporizhzhia. In addition, as noted in the report, Russian bloggers publicly criticized the head of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces following his reports to Putin, which further highlighted the internal resonance surrounding the data presented in them. ## Accounts differ ### Control over settlements and the frontline in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions - **Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov:** Russian troops are advancing in the Donetsk region and Zaporizhzhia, reaching five kilometers from Zaporizhzhia ([rbc.ua](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/fantazue-putinu-zelenskiy-vismiyav-brehnyu-1792335644.html)) - **President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Armed Forces of Ukraine:** The Defense Forces fully control the listed cities, destroy the enemy 20 km from Zaporizhzhia, and have liberated more territory since the beginning of autumn than Russian troops captured ([rbc.ua](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/fantazue-putinu-zelenskiy-vismiyav-brehnyu-1792335644.html)) *Where they agree:* Active fighting is underway in these directions — both sides confirm combat clashes ## Fact-Check & Sources - ["Фантазирует Путину": Зеленский высмеял ложь Герасимова о ситуации на фронте](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/fantazue-putinu-zelenskiy-vismiyav-brehnyu-1792335644.html) - The fact of Zelenskyy's statement on October 18 and its content are confirmed (list of cities, 20 km from Zaporizhzhia, refutation of Gerasimov's report, reaction of the Ukrainian General Staff and Russian bloggers). Military details are the position of the Ukrainian side and are disputed by the Russian Federation. ## FAQ ### Which settlements are fully controlled by the Armed Forces of Ukraine according to Zelenskyy? According to the president, Dobropillia, Kostiantynivka, Oleksievo-Druzhkivka, Orikhiv, Novopavlivka, Novoandriivka, and Velykomykhailivka are under Ukraine's full control, and areas near Kramatorsk are also being defended. ### Whose report did Zelenskyy respond to? His statement came after a report by Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Mykhailo Drapatyi and served as a response to statements by Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov in his report to Vladimir Putin. ### What distance to Zaporizhzhia did Zelenskyy name? Zelenskyy stated that Ukrainian forces are destroying the enemy 20 kilometers from Zaporizhzhia, refuting Gerasimov's report indicating five kilometers.