Russia’s armed forces do not control Siversk, despite claims they fully captured the city, Ukraine’s military command said. Russian troops took advantage of bad weather to slip onto several streets but were detected and neutralized. Meanwhile, video from Ukrainian fighters shows an object in central Siversk displaying a Russian flag - and how Ukrainian forces removed it.
The situation remains difficult, but the city is under Ukrainian control, Operational Command “East” said in a Facebook post. The command confirmed Russian troops managed to infiltrate by exploiting poor weather, pushing deeper into the town and enabling Russia’s Defense Ministry to create a “propaganda picture.” Footage from Ukrainian troops shows the tricolor hanging on the facade of a destroyed building, likely Secondary School No. 1 in Siversk (34 Zheleznodorozhnykiv Street). Moments later, the target is struck by a drone; it’s unclear what happened to the Russians who put it up.
To enter Siversk, Russian forces are using small assault groups that infiltrate under the cover of weather. Ukrainian troops are detecting and destroying these groups with artillery and drones, OC “Skhid” (East) said.
“Statements that the enemy has established control over the city do not correspond to reality,” the command said on December 10.
Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, said on his Telegram channel that “the Russians do not control Siversk” and that isolated Russian assault groups do not constitute “control.”
Analysts at the DeepState project updated the frontline map around Siversk on December 7–8, showing Russian units advancing roughly 1-2 km from east to west. The red area of occupation covers about a third - 4 sq km out of 12 sq km - while the rest is a gray zone. School No. 1, seen in the Ukrainian fighters’ video, sits at coordinates 48.86918, 38.09018 - about 200 meters from the farthest line of fighting.
In its morning report on December 10, Ukraine’s General Staff said that in the Sloviansk sector, which includes Siversk, it recorded 12 Russian assaults. Data from previous days showed similar activity - 9 to 13 attacks. The hottest sector remains Pokrovsk (48 assaults).
DeepState wrote on December 9 about Russian advances in Siversk. According to the project, Russia is bringing in infantry, and the city is gradually moving under enemy control. A Ukrainian soldier with the call sign “Muchnoy” also referenced this part of the front. He said Russian units in Siversk have been thrown into a “meat grinder,” but in his view, the city’s fate is “sealed.”
