Russia claimed it had captured a strategic city in Ukraine's Donbas region, an announcement that appeared timed to a critical Kremlin meeting with visiting US officials trying to finalize a peace deal.
Ukrainian officials on December 2 denied the claim, made by Russia's top military commander to President Vladimir Putin in a video released a day earlier.
In the video, Russia's top military commander, General Valery Gerasimov, was shown detailing recent battlefield gains by Russian forces. Ukraine has been struggling for months to hold back Russian troops, in particular around the cities of Kupyansk, in the north; and Pokrovsk, in the south.
Using the old Russian name for Pokrovsk, Krasnoarmeysk, Gerasimov asserted that Russian forces had finally taken the city.
"Search and assault operations and the elimination of the enemy in urban areas continue in Pokrovsk," the Ukrainian military's eastern command wrote on Facebook on December 2.
The statement said that Russian forces had used poor weather conditions to plant their flag in a district of Pokrovsk for propaganda purposes, in an attempt to prove that they had taken control of the entire city.
"After that, they fled in a hurry," the statement added.
"Despite unfavorable weather conditions, our units continue aerial reconnaissance, targeting and fire strikes against enemy groups," according to the statement.
Putin was scheduled to host White House special envoy Steve Witkoff later on December 2, amid a flurry of efforts to find a resolution to end Russia's nearly four-year war on Ukraine.
The meeting -- Witkoff's sixth with Putin since January -- followed the release of a US-drafted peace plan that was seen as heavily favorable to Russia. Ukrainian officials have scrambled, meeting top US officials in Geneva and trying water down Russian hard-line positions.
As Witkoff was en route to Moscow, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy questioned the Kremlin's motives for the talks, saying it was seeking the easing of Western sanctions and not peace.
"We note that the Russians have already launched new disinformation campaigns in view of preparations for their upcoming meetings with the American side," Zelenskyy wrote in a post on social media.
He added that Kyiv will "provide partners with all available information regarding Russia’s true intentions and its attempts to use diplomatic engagement as cover to weaken sanctions and block important collective European decisions."
Russia has routinely claimed key battlefield victories in Ukraine, claims that have turned out to be either premature or outright false. Gerasimov recently declared Russia had encircled forces in Kupyansk, something that was untrue.
One of the primary Ukrainian units defending Pokrovsk, the Air Assault Forces' 7th Rapid Response Corps, said Kyiv's troops "continue to hold back" the Russian offensive.
Earlier on December 1, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, meeting in Paris with French leader Emmanuel Macron, acknowledged Russian advances.
"Certainly, Russia is making progress; certainly, Russia is carrying out several offensive actions and operations. None of these operations have been successful," he said at a press conference.
"There are heavy battles going on in Pokrovsk and other areas. For example, our guys are having more success in the Kupyansk area. Although Russia claims to have captured Kupyansk, we've cleared almost everyone out of the city," he said.
