Ukraine says Russia's claimed territorial advances are 'an illusion'

Ukraine on Saturday rejected Russia's claim to have captured more than 1,800 square kilometers of territory and nearly 100 settlements since September 1. The chief of Russia's General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, had told President Vladimir Putin that Russian forces had made significant territorial gains. Ukraine's General Staff spokesman Andriy Kovaliov dismissed the claims as false, stating that Ukrainian forces have liberated more territory since the beginning of autumn than the enemy has captured. Kovaliov added that the Russian military leadership continues to create an illusion of major victories for its political leadership and domestic audience. He also rejected claims that Russian troops had reached the outskirts of Kramatorsk and were advancing in the suburbs of Sloviansk, asserting that Dobropillia remained under Ukrainian control.