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Story summary
- President Vladimir Putin announced exaggerated battlefield gains in a video released on Oct. 16, 2026.
- Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov delivered false battlefield briefings to President Vladimir Putin at the command post.
- President Vladimir Putin said Russian forces seized 6,500 sq km, 45 % more than monitors recorded.
- Valery Gerasimov claimed control of Kupyansk and troops within three miles of Zaporizhzhia.
- Kremlin uses claims to pressure U.S. President Donald Trump and free €260 billion assets.