The Institute for the Study of War has revealed that a phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the commander of the 76th Guards VDV Division may have been staged, after identifying that the voice on the recording belongs to an officer who reportedly died over a year ago.
The Kremlin published a transcript of a phone conversation on August 6 in which Putin spoke with a purported commander of the elite 76th Guards VDV Division about combat operations in the Dobropillya direction. The voice purporting to be the division commander identifies himself as Colonel Shikhabidov.
However, ISW researchers found that multiple Russian sources reported Colonel Shikhabidov died in May 2025. Russian military bloggers and open-source trackers indicate the current commander of the 76th Guards VDV Division is Denis Shishov. Putin never names the commander during the conversation.
The apparent misidentification raises significant questions about the authenticity of the exchange and whether Russian military commanders are providing Putin fabricated reports on the frontline situation. ISW has previously noted that Russian units are likely not providing Putin accurate battlefield assessments.
The staged call likely indicates that the Dobropillya direction is a priority sector for Russian forces, as elite VDV and naval infantry units are typically deployed in key frontline areas. The conversation discussed Russian advances in the Pokrovsk and Dobropillya directions, with the purported commander claiming the unit had seized several settlements.
Putin awarded the 76th Guards VDV Division the Guards title on August 6, further suggesting the unit will continue offensive operations in the area. ISW first observed evidence of the division operating in the Pokrovsk direction in September 2025.
The finding comes as Putin faces growing criticism that he is out of touch with battlefield reality in Ukraine. Putin rarely meets with tactical-level commanders, usually receiving reports from higher-level officers. During a July 3 meeting with unit commanders, Putin and the officers falsely claimed Russian forces had seized Kostyantynivka, which ISW assessed had not been taken.
ISW assessed that while Russian forces advanced approximately 46 square kilometers in the Pokrovsk area in July 2026, the pace remains insufficient to seize the remainder of Donetsk Oblast by Putin’s self-imposed December 31 deadline. The monthly rate of advance, while higher than in June, is far below what would be needed to achieve the stated objectives.
ISW – Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, August 7, 2026 GlobalSecurity.org – Kremlin phone conversation transcript Kyiv Post – ISW Assessment Coverage
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