Siversk in the Donetsk region is not under Russian control as of Friday, Dec. 12, despite Kremlin claims, Ukraine’s 11th Army Corps spokesman Lt. Col. Dmytro Zaporozhets said.

“Combat operations are underway,” he said on national television.

Zaporozhets added that commanders at all levels – including the corps commander and the commander of the Group of Forces – are on the ground managing the response to the critical situation near the city.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Dec. 11 that Siversk had been captured, claiming that its capture would pave the way for further successful advances.

Attempts to seize the city have intensified since Dec. 8, when the open-source battlefield map DeepState UA reported that Russian infantry had begun moving into Siversk.

However, on Dec. 10, Ukraine’s “East” Operational Command denied reports of Russian control, though it said the situation remained tense.

According to the command, small Russian assault groups were infiltrating the city under the cover of poor weather, while Ukrainian forces continued eliminating Russian troops both inside Siversk and on their approaches.

Russian troops have also attempted to place flags on central buildings to create a false impression of occupation, the command said.

Putin’s pattern of premature city claims

Putin has repeatedly and prematurely claimed the capture of Ukrainian cities.

He recently announced control over Pokrovsk and Kupyansk, but Ukrainian forces still hold northern Pokrovsk and have launched a counterattack in Kupyansk.

Earlier on Friday, Ukraine’s “Khartiya” National Guard Brigade reported that Ukrainian forces had blocked Russian units in Kupyansk and cleared the entire northwestern part of the city.

Ukrainian troops eliminated 1,027 Russian soldiers, liberated Kindrashivka, Radkivka, and surrounding areas, broke through to the Oskil River north of Kupyansk, and completely cut off Russian ground routes into the city.

The Russian group in Kupyansk, now numbering more than 200 servicemen, is fully encircled, according to the Ukrainian command.

“Fighting in the city center is still ongoing, but soon Ukrainian Kupyansk will be completely liberated!” said Colonel Ihor “Cornet” Obolensky, commander of the 2nd Corps of the Khartiya National Guard.

Zelensky on Friday, appearing at the city’s outskirts despite recent Russian claims that they had surrounded or captured it.

The video shows the Kupyansk city limit sign, with explosions audible in the distance. Moscow had earlier said the city fell in late November and tried to bring journalists there to reinforce the claim.

Zelensky told troops that their achievements on the Kupyansk front were crucial and suggested that battlefield results could influence the course of ongoing peace negotiations – echoing his earlier warning that Ukraine is facing pressure to accept land concessions.

He thanked units fighting in the area and emphasized that strong positions on the front translate into stronger positions in diplomacy.

Zelensky’s rare frontline appearance came amid reports that Washington has pushed Kyiv to consider a Donbas “demilitarized zone” that would require Ukrainian withdrawal from current positions. Kyiv has submitted a revised proposal, and Zelensky’s aide told Kyiv Post that the demilitarized zone idea remains only “theoretical.”

A recent nationwide survey and a Kyiv Post interview show most Ukrainians want peace but reject major territorial concessions included in current versions of the US-originated plan, which was drafted with input from Moscow.