Russians captured a non-existent village in Kharkiv region – Central Ukraine Police

The Russian Ministry of Defense announced the alleged capture of the village of Shcherbakivka in the Kharkiv region. However, this settlement has not officially existed for almost 30 years.

This was reported by the Center for Countering Disinformation.

Russian propaganda resources have begun actively distributing the Russian Defense Ministry’s statement about the alleged capture of Shcherbakivka. The Central Military Commission emphasized that in this way, Russian propaganda is trying to create the impression of the constant advance of Russian troops on various fronts.

In fact, Shcherbakivka was liquidated back in 1997. At that time, there were no residents left in the village. As of 2026, there is no such settlement in Ukraine.

The Center recalled that the Russian military leadership has repeatedly reported the alleged capture of Ukrainian settlements that the Russian army did not actually control.

In particular, the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Federation Valery Gerasimov has repeatedly stated that Kupyansk and Kupyansk-Vuzlovye have been completely captured. At the same time, Russian troops do not control these settlements.