Russian flags in Siversk? Ukrainian military clarifies if the city has fallen

Russia’s claims that it has fully seized Siversk are false — fighting for the city continues. Ukrainian troops are struggling with limited logistics, relying on drones and ground robotic platforms to deliver food and ammunition to the front line.

This was said by Dmytro Zaporozhets, spokesman for the 11th Army Corps, in comments to Suspilne Donbas.

Fighting for Siversk: what’s happening on the ground

“Russia’s statements about taking Siversk don’t match reality. The fight for the city goes on. Urban combat is the toughest kind of battle. We are focusing on eliminating the enemy with drones and artillery. And we’re showing openly that we’re destroying their forces in the center, in the south, and on the eastern outskirts of the city,” Zaporozhets said.

Russian forces are currently positioned on the southern and northern outskirts of Siversk. Since November, the occupiers have tried to advance into the city from these directions. Many of them attempted to slip through Mine No. 6 in the southern district — a site that Ukraine’s defenders kept under tight control, striking the enemy there whenever the chance arose.

“However, we still don’t know how many enemy troops managed to enter during the recent spell of bad weather… Donetsk region saw rain, slush, snow, and thick fog — both high and low — and the enemy actively exploited those conditions. Detecting them in such weather is extremely difficult,” the 11th Army Corps spokesman said.

According to him, there are currently an estimated 50–60 Russian soldiers inside Siversk. Ukrainian forces continue operations to eliminate them.

Essential resources are being deployed to stabilize the situation in Siversk

“The situation in Siversk is tough. Siversk sits in a lowland, and even if things take a turn for the worse and the enemy gets control of the city, we’ll still be able to monitor and strike what’s happening inside. We have commanding heights nearby, and from there we hit the enemy with both drones and artillery,” Zaporozhets said.

He stressed that the necessary resources are currently being allocated to stabilize the situation in Siversk, including dedicated drone operators.

“Today’s top priority is to drive out the enemy’s manpower before they manage to bring in armored vehicles, electronic warfare systems, or anything else that could help them hold the blocks they’ve entered,” the 11th Army Corps spokesman added.

Russian flags in Siversk

Zaporozhets confirms that videos showing Russian flags on Siversk buildings, circulated by the enemy, are real.

“Unfortunately, Russian flags on buildings are true. The enemy was able to be in several locations and film these clips,” he said.

The occupiers also exploited civilians for their propaganda.

“People aged 20–25 appeared in propaganda videos. But local authorities report that such people weren’t there — only the elderly remained. Propaganda works, and the channels use anyone they can get their hands on, whether civilians or some visiting circus, so to speak,” the military spokesman said.