Russian soldiers wave the Russian flag in Konstiantynivka: Shortly afterwards, a Ukrainian threat hits.image: screenshot telegram
Images from the battlefield in Ukraine repeatedly show soldiers hoisting the Russian flag. These propaganda missions are probably not without danger.
July 10, 2026, 4:02 p.mJuly 10, 2026, 4:02 p.m
Julian Seiferth / t-online
Hardly any other city in the eastern Ukrainian fortress belt is as hotly contested as Kostiantynivka. Intense house-to-house and drone battles have been raging in the city, which forms the southernmost point of the defense line in Donbass, for months.
Nevertheless, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the capture of the city at the beginning of July. Ukrainian authorities immediately objected. The US Institute for the Study of War (ISW) also comes to a different conclusion: Russian units advanced into parts of the city, but did not take Kostiantynivka under their control. The fighting continued.
According to the ISW, the claim could be part of a targeted disinformation campaign by the Kremlin. Accordingly, Moscow particularly emphasized the alleged success in order to present it to the US government and the Western public as evidence of Russian progress in Donbass.
Small groups, big symbolic impact
According to research by the exile media Radio Svoboda, Russian commanders apparently repeatedly rely on so-called flag missions. Small storm troops advance into contested towns, raise the Russian flag there and film the action. The recordings will then serve as evidence of the capture of the area – both for reports to superiors and for public display.
Military expert David Sharp described this approach to Radio Svoboda as “window dressing for superiors and propaganda”. Such images often have only limited military use. Instead, they could serve to document land gains, even though control over the place in question is not yet secured.
The ISW also points out that the Kremlin has repeatedly exaggerated tactical advances or backed them up with dubious evidence. The aim is to give the impression of a rapid Russian advance and to put political pressure on Ukraine and its Western supporters. However, many events at the front cannot be independently verified.
High risks for the soldiers
According to Radio Svoboda, such operations involve significant risks for the soldiers involved. The medium describes several cases in which Russian soldiers are said to have been attacked by Ukrainian drones during such missions.
This was reported by a relative of a Russian soldier whose unit was sent to the town of Petrowka in the spring to raise a flag and document the action. According to his account, the place was not yet completely under Russian control at that time. The group was attacked by drones shortly after their arrival, and several soldiers were killed. The information cannot be independently verified.
False situation reports with far-reaching consequences
Radio Svoboda cites other similar cases from Krynky, Poltavka, Kupyansk and areas bordering the Dnipropetrovsk region. However, it is unclear how often such missions actually take place and how many soldiers died.
According to military expert Sharp, such missions can have consequences for the further course of the war beyond the actual propaganda effect. If commanders reported territorial gains that were actually not yet secured, further military decisions could be made on this basis. This poses the risk of additional losses.
In this context, the ISW refers to earlier Russian reports of success that later turned out to be exaggerated or premature. In the Kostiantynivka case, analysts currently see no evidence that Russia completely controls the city. Rather, it can be assumed that the Russian armed forces will continue their attacks – albeit with high losses and without a quick operational breakthrough along the Ukrainian defense line.
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