Putin Distorts the Truth — and Directs His Message at His Own People

When Vladimir Putin took the stage at the Valdai Conference on October 1, he had good news to report. According to him, Russian forces had captured a full 1,301 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory in September alone. That would be roughly two and a half times as much as the month before.

But the next day, the American think tank ISW (Institute for the Study of War) published its maps. Its figure was 175.54 square kilometers.

At the same time, Ukrainian forces had retaken 256.35 square kilometers. That means Russia, according to ISW, actually lost a net 80.81 square kilometers in September.

Seven Times Too Much

This is not a minor discrepancy. Putin’s figure is more than seven times higher than what ISW can document. The think tank did not mince words either: The numbers were so far removed from reality that they “resemble hallucinations,” it said.

Now, the front line is not easy to map. Russian soldiers can infiltrate an area long before they actually control it. Ukrainian forces may also have retaken territory before photographs or video emerge to document it. That can explain small differences between different mapping services.

But it does not explain how 175 suddenly becomes 1,301.

“Russia Never Started the War”

Territory was only one part of the speech. Putin also repeated his claim that Russia never started the war, but was forced to defend itself against Ukraine and the West.

To believe that, you have to erase February 24, 2022. That morning, Putin himself announced what he called a “special military operation.” Russian forces entered Ukraine from Russia, Belarus and occupied Crimea. Missiles struck targets across much of the country, while troops advanced toward cities including Kyiv, Kharkiv, Kherson and Mariupol.

Six days later, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the resolution “Aggression against Ukraine.” 141 countries voted in favor. They demanded that Russia end the attack and withdraw its forces.

Yet four and a half years later, Putin stood on a stage and said Russia had never started a war.

Crimea: No, We’re Not There. And No, We’re Not Going to Take It

This was not the first time Putin told one story while Russia was doing something entirely different.

In late February 2014, armed men without national insignia appeared in Crimea. They seized government buildings, surrounded Ukrainian military bases and secured roads and key installations.

On March 4, Putin was asked directly whether they were Russian soldiers. He said they were local self-defense forces. The fact that they wore Russian uniforms proved nothing, he argued, because such uniforms could be bought in any store.

Then he was asked whether Russia was considering annexing Crimea. His answer was no.

Two weeks later, Putin stood in the Kremlin and signed the agreement declaring Crimea and Sevastopol part of Russia.

He later said himself that, during the night of February 23, he had gathered the heads of Russia’s security services and ordered them to begin working on “returning Crimea to Russia.” In other words, when he stood before the cameras denying everything, the operation was already underway.

“We Do Not Attack Civilians”

The same gap between words and reality has appeared repeatedly since the full-scale war began.

In June 2022, a Russian missile struck the Amstor shopping mall in Kremenchuk. The mall was open, and civilians were inside. Twenty-one people were killed.

Three days later, Putin declared that the Russian military does not attack civilian targets.

The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine examined video footage, satellite images, witness testimony and remnants of the weapon. Its conclusion was clear: A Russian missile directly hit the functioning shopping mall.

Putin’s claim stood side by side with the ruins.

The same thing happened in Bucha. Russian authorities claimed that the dead civilians were part of a Ukrainian fabrication. But satellite images showed bodies lying in the streets while Russian forces were still in control of the town.