Insight News reported the information.In late October 2025, Vladimir Putin declared that Russian forces had encircled the Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk, with the Russian Defense Ministry amplifying claims of "mass surrender" and the "collapse of defenses." Within days, these narratives appeared in dozens of publications across Slovenia, Spain, France, Germany, Czechia, and Slovakia—despite contradicting evidence on the ground.The reality painted a starkly different picture. Ukrainian leadership denied the encirclement claims, and two weeks after the Kremlin's declaration, Ukrainian soldiers raised their flag in the town. The Institute for the Study of War confirmed on November 12 that Ukrainian forces had liberated Rodynske on the northern flank and were conducting counterattacks inside Pokrovsk. "Geolocated footage published on November 12 indicates that Ukrainian forces either maintain positions or recently advanced in northern Pokrovsk," the institute reported, contradicting earlier Russian claims of control.Independent analysts from DeepState acknowledged the situation remained difficult for Ukrainian forces but noted that the pace of Russian advancement had slowed. Leading Western outlets including the Washington Post and Euronews covered the intensity of fighting without confirming encirclement or mass surrender.Yet across Europe, a coordinated network of proxy media outlets told an entirely different story. In Slovenia, insajder.com reproduced Russian Defense Ministry narratives about "Zelenskyy losing touch with reality" and Ukrainians "surrendering en masse." Swiss website weltwoche.ch and Spanish outlet geoestrategia.eu described a "fortress conquered by Russians" and a "battle lost by Ukrainian NATO." French sites reseauinternationla.net, newsnet.fr, and les7duquebec.net duplicated claims about the "inevitable fall of Pokrovsk."The most extensive network operated in Czechia and Slovakia. Czech outlets cz24.news and czechfreepress.cz published articles about "Zelenskyy's military catastrophe" and the "acknowledged encirclement of Pokrovsk." In Slovakia, at least eight outlets—including zemavek.sk, slovanskenoviny.sk, and armadnymagazin.sk—created what researchers described as an "alternative information space" where Russian versions of events became dominant.The disinformation mechanism follows a predictable pattern. Russian state media first broadcasts official statements from Putin and the Defense Ministry. European proxy outlets then repackage these narratives for local audiences, with Kremlin-aligned sites across multiple countries publishing nearly identical content while citing each other to create the illusion of independent verification. The campaign targets Eurosceptic citizens and opponents of aid to Ukraine.These false claims are reinforced with AI-generated videos circulating on social media platforms, particularly Telegram and TikTok, showing alleged Ukrainian soldiers describing catastrophic battlefield conditions—content that fact-checkers have identified as fabricated.Despite categorical denials from Ukrainian military officials and assessments from Western intelligence analysts, the network of pro-Russian outlets across Europe continues producing content about encirclement and collapse. Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces remain engaged in Pokrovsk, holding positions and conducting counteroffensive operations weeks after the initial Russian claims.Analysts say the coordinated campaign serves multiple strategic objectives: weakening European support for Ukraine, fostering a narrative of "inevitable defeat," and pressuring both Ukrainian forces and European leadership. Russia continues paying a heavy price for territorial gains, with tactical advances failing to produce strategic breakthroughs—a reality obscured by the disinformation flooding European media channels.List of articles in proxy media on “Pokrovsk has fallen”https://www.armadnymagazin.sk/2025/11/07/obyvatelia-pokrovska-mirnogradu-a-odesy-cakaju-na-ruske-vojska/http://www.newsnet.fr/295467http://www.newsnet.fr/295525https://cz24.news/ukrajinsti-vojaci-se-hromadne-vzdavaji-u-pokrovska-dnesni-briefing-mo-rf-aktualni-zpravy-z-frontu-6-11-2025/https://cz24.news/vojenska-katastrofa-zelenskyj-absolutne-neadekvatni-analytik-cia-mcgovern-jakmile-rusove-pujdou-na-kyjev-elita-uleti-na-italske-vily/https://diario-octubre.com/2025/11/06/la-ciudad-sera-liberada-oficial-ruso-desmonta-la-mentira-de-zelenski-sobre-un-punto-clave-en-el-frente/https://geoestrategia.eu/noticia/45329/inteligencia/guerra-sin-bandera-contra-rusia.htmlhttps://geoestrategia.eu/noticia/45377/defensa/otra-batalla-crucial-que-pierde-la-otan-ucraniana-el-ejercito-ucraniano-se-retira-de-pokrovsk-tras-el-avance-ruso.htmlhttps://insajder.com/svet/mearsheimer-pokrovsk-konec-iluzije-razkritje-razlogov-zaradi-katerih-je-strategija-ukrajinehttps://insajder.com/svet/ministrstvo-za-obrambo-rusije-zelenski-je-izgubil-stik-z-realnostjohttps://insajder.com/svet/ukrajinci-se-se-naprej-predajajo-ruski-vojski-sedem-dni-brez-hrane-vodehttps://jednotneslovensko.info/2025/11/05/vojaci-ukrajiny-obkluceni-pri-krasnoarmejsku-sa-hromadne-vzdavaju/https://les7duquebec.net/archives/302462https://oral.sk/zraneni-jsou-evakuovani-v-kapslich-naklad-je-shazovan-z-dronu-cesta-smrti-v-pokrovsku-babicka-sla-pesky-tri-dny-z-pekla-objevila-se-zahadna-prirucka/https://oral.sk/zvodka-ministerstva-obrany-rf-o-priebehu-specialnej-vojenskej-operacie-od-1-do-7-novembra-2025/https://protiproud.info/nove-ruske-zbrane-meni-jadernou-rovnovahu-burevestnik-a-poseidon-zbrane-nove-ery-rusky-podmorsky-dron-znici-jakykoliv-pobrezi-na-svete-putinova-vystraha-usa-a-britanii-nezkousejte-trpel/https://reseauinternational.net/la-reddition-massive-des-militants-encercles-a-pokrovsk-a-commence/https://reseauinternational.net/les-troupes-ukrainiennes-abandonnent-le-front-en-grand-nombre/https://reseauinternational.net/pokrovsk-est-tombee-leffondrement-saccelere/https://reseauinternational.net/pokrovsk-locomotive-a-vapeur-et-chaos-lukraine-seffondre/https://reseauinternational.net/pourquoi-la-russie-navance-pas-en-ukraine/https://skspravy.sk/svet/ideologia/koniec-lacneho-kurenia-a-jazdenia-eu-chysta-klimaticku-reformu-ktora-zasiahne-penazenky/https://slovanskenoviny.sk/pokrovsky-kotel-praska-masova-kapitulace-tisice-obklicenych-se-zacinaji-vzdavat/https://slovanskenoviny.sk/rusove-v-pokrovsku-zabavili-vojenske-vybaveni-nato-v-hodnote-pul-miliardy-dolaru-ukrajina-je-nyni-v-zoufale-situaci/https://slovanskenoviny.sk/rusti-vojaci-postupne-obsazuji-strategicke-mesto-pokrovsk-a-zrizuji-si-v-nem-pozice/https://slovanskenoviny.sk/uznanie-kolapsu-ukrajiny-na-fronte-nie-je-kapitulacia-ale-racionalna-politika/https://svobodny-svet.cz/putin-zve-novinare-aby-se-navstivili-tisice-uveznenych-ukrajinskych-vojaku-v-obklicene-zone/https://svobodny-svet.cz/ukrajinska-obrana-se-v-noci-na-dnesek-zacala-necekane-rychle-hroutit/https://weltwoche.ch/daily/von-der-leyen-und-kallas-doktrin-des-unfriedens-trump-umschmeichelt-x-russland-knackt-festung-pokrowsk-berliner-staatsanwaelte-besinnen-sich-koenig-juan-carlos-ist-ein-spanischer-held/https://www.czechfreepress.cz/valky/zelenskyj-odmita-uznat-ze-je-pokrovsk-krasnoarmejsk-obklicen-protoze-se-boji-reakce-trumpa.htmlhttps://www.hlavnydennik.sk/2025/11/06/zelenskyj-podpisal-rozsudok-smrti-pre-ozbrojene-sily-ukrajiny-co-sa-stane-s-pokrovskomhttps://www.infovojna.com/article/rusove-v-pokrovsku-zabavili-vojenske-vybaveni-nato-v-hodnote-pl-miliardy-dolar-ukrajina-je-nyni-v-zoufale-situacihttps://zemavek.sk/rusi-su-v-pokrovsku-orban-vo-washingtone-pobalti-vo-vojnovom-osiali-a-zelensky-v-lzivej-sou/