The General Staff and Syrsky clash with DeepState: what displeased the analysts, and what lies ahead for the website?

On Monday, December 23, people's deputy Marianna Bezuha reported that the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskiy "has initiated an offensive" against DeepState analysts.

According to the deputy, the project includes:

• mobilization of the team of analysts;
• appeal to the SBU and law enforcement regarding information disclosure;
• discrediting the project;
• closing the project.

"We have all known DeepState since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. Daily, it is hardly the only source to understand what is happening, both for civilians and even for military personnel. The offensive by the 'old-timers' on the project is another indication of their complete backwardness and evidence that we have truly become hostages to Soviet idiots," — wrote Marianna Bezuha.

However, journalist Yuriy Butusov, citing sources, reported that the Armed Forces deny any conflict between Syrskiy and DeepState.

"I contacted a source in the leadership of the Armed Forces, and off the record, I received a clear assurance that the Commander-in-Chief has no relation to the situation with the statement from OSUV 'Khortytsia', and that there were no measures taken to pressure DeepState, nor are there any discussions about it now. According to my interlocutor, OSUV 'Khortytsia' is supposed to invite the DeepState team for a meeting to coordinate the coverage of the situation at the front," — said the journalist.

He emphasized that such a meeting would be a sign of a correct and civilized resolution to the situation. According to him, analysts predict the situation more accurately than OSUV, so a dialogue would be beneficial.

What happened between the Armed Forces and DeepState?

Butusov reminded that a few days ago, analysts depicted on a map that the village of Makarivka in the Donetsk region was almost completely surrounded. The channel did not make any statements or conclusions about Ukrainian fighters being encircled. Later, OSUV 'Khortytsia' issued a statement saying that the information about the encirclement of Defense Forces units in Makarivka in the Vremivka direction, which was circulated by the media, is not true.

"Unverified data and, as a result, false conclusions about the existence of such a situation are the result of analysis by individual observers and independent experts whose sources do not match the dynamics of hostilities," — the statement said.

The journalist noted that the OSUV statement is a response to social media posts about the encirclement of Ukrainian units in Makarivka, which were made by bloggers based on an analysis of the DeepState map. However, the depiction on the DeepState map of the near-total encirclement of the village corresponds to reality, although Ukrainian fighters have not been surrounded.

"In the area of the village, there are still several fighters from one of our battalions; I am in contact with the servicemen of that battalion and have received detailed information about the situation. This data was also confirmed to me by one of the commanders of the Joint Task Force 'Donetsk'. So DeepState did not lie, and the responsibility for the reports of encirclement lies with entirely different sources. OSUV 'Khortytsia' is correct in stating that there is, in fact, no encirclement of our troops in Makarivka," — Butusov explained.

OSUV 'Khortytsia' did not raise any complaints against DeepState but criticized the data on which the social media reports were based, thus stating the falsehood of the information on the channel's map.

"Clearly, if OSUV had issued a correct statement that there is no encirclement of our troops in Makarivka and limited itself to that, there would have been no problems at all. As it stands, everything has cast a shadow on the quite reliable DeepState map," — the journalist added.

Conflict between Syrskiy and DeepState: what analysts say

DeepState confirmed that they are experiencing pressure from the General Staff of the Armed Forces due to the data published on their maps. Analysts noted that they have always made maximum efforts for victory and to assist the fighters and Ukraine.

"We have an iron reputation and invaluable trust among the public, and most importantly — among the military. That is why we have the most well-known map of the Russian-Ukrainian war in Ukraine and the world. Unfortunately, not all commanders like the truth — and that is upsetting," — the statement said.

Analysts added that lies will doom everyone.

Can the General Staff shut down DeepState?

Military expert Pavel Narozhny stated that the General Staff does not have the mechanisms to protect anyone; they cannot forbid people from publishing anything on the internet.

He noted that information from DeepState may lag behind reality by several days, as analysts themselves withhold data, and there is the issue of how quickly Ukrainian and Russian sources publish information.

According to Narozhny, the General Staff, OSUV, or other units have many levers to influence the situation at the front. If a locality is in a semi-encirclement or encirclement, measures can be taken, including sending assault units there to push back the enemy, conducting artillery strikes, and so on. As a result, the situation may turn out quite differently than it is presented.

The expert believes that issuing an order to shut down a website is unrealistic. However, it is another matter if secret information is published, but that is already not within the purview of the General Staff.

"There are certain conflict situations between the General Staff and DeepState because DeepState has reported twice about the encirclement of our troops, which did not happen, mistakenly, I believe. Of course, there are certain grievances because this raises specific waves of discontent within the General Staff, as it affects mobilization and the morale of the troops," — said Hetman.

He noted that these are working moments, and he does not know a single serviceman from the officer corps who has not received a reprimand during their years of service. There are always misunderstandings, both positive and negative moments.

Censorship during wartime: where to find the truth

Pavel Narozhny is convinced that censorship is necessary during wartime.

"Let me give you a simple example. There is a lot of talk about publishing our losses, and not just generically, but by name. What value will such information have for the enemy? The Russians launched a missile strike; they do not know the results — something exploded, they hit it, or there were indeed servicemen there. But if they have a list of all those they managed to destroy, for example, or injure — this essentially corrects the enemy's fire, confirming that there are indeed people there, and they need to strike again. This information is closed. What value does it hold for our citizens? What conclusions will they draw from it? Why do they need this information? I do not quite understand," — the expert explained.

He stated that information about the war should be obtained from official sources, namely — the General Staff, Strategic Communications, the pages of brigade units, and official comments. In contrast, one should understand the class of information provided by analysts. In particular, this data is obtained from open sources, which may not correspond to reality.

According to Hetman, it is necessary for DeepState to rectify the existing shortcomings because if someone "cuts off the head" and shuts down the site as a way for Ukrainians to learn what is happening at the front, then "a holy place is never empty." Instead, Russian information may emerge, which will be distorted.

"In Russia, Europe, and the USA, there are maps showing combat actions. We have seen these maps from the American Institute for the Study of War. Anyone who wants can see which specific maps are available from Russia; they are somewhat deceptive. And we have our map, so to speak, our information about what needs to be corrected," — noted the expert.

In his opinion, people will still seek information, and Russian IPSO may emerge. However, military censorship is essential during wartime; it applies to troop movements, casualty numbers, precise locations of units, and anything that negatively impacts the military and the course of hostilities, concluded Alexey Hetman.

Recall that on December 23, a lieutenant of the Armed Forces with the call sign "Alex" stated that a project like DeepState has the right to exist. According to him, it is critically necessary for the adequate awareness of society.

On December 24, DeepState analysts reported that Ukrainian fighters managed to break free from encirclement in Makarivka in the Donetsk region. However, the village was captured by the enemy. Two more villages were also occupied, and the enemy advanced in the area of ten settlements.