"Stop making fools of yourselves": Top commander addresses Russians from Sviatohirsk, which Putin claimed to have "captured"
Brigadier General Andrii Biletskyi, commander of the 3rd Army Corps, has recorded a video address from the centre of Sviatohirsk in Donetsk Oblast, with the Holy Dormition Sviatohirsk Lavra in the background, following claims by Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin that the city had supposedly been "captured".
Source: a video by the 3rd Army Corps
Quote from Biletskyi: "I want to address the Russian military and military-political leadership. Take off your clown noses and colourful wigs. Stop making fools of yourselves. The 60th Mechanised Brigade of the 3rd Army Corps has full control of the city. In fact, this is our rear area."
Details: In the video, Biletskyi showed everyday life continuing in the city and assured viewers that it was safe.
Background:
- On 1 September, Putin claimed that Russian forces had captured another 14 Ukrainian settlements, including Kozacha Lopan and Sviatohirsk. The Russian Defence Ministry repeated his claims.
- Meanwhile, DeepState maps show that the settlements in question are not under Russian occupation.
- Ukrainian troops have also refuted claims by Putin and the Russian Defence Ministry that Russian forces had captured the settlement of Kozacha Lopan in Kharkiv Oblast.
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