Russia extends Donbas capture deadline to December 31, but may delay it again - Zelenskyy
Photo: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (facebook.com/zelenskyy.official)
Russia plans to capture the entire Donetsk region by December 31 of this year. The Kremlin has already postponed this deadline 15 times, according to a statement by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The head of state stressed that since the start of the full-scale invasion, Russia has set 15 different deadlines for capturing the Donetsk region.
"The Russian political leadership remains obsessed with Donbas. They have already had this delusion 15 times — believing they would fully seize Donbas," the president said.
He recalled that in 2022, Russia set deadlines of March 31, then May 9, June 1, September 15, and December 31. In 2023, the Russian President set two more deadlines for capturing Donbas: March 1 and then December 31.
"In 2024, there were again two such deadlines. In 2025, when the Russians were trying to convince President Trump that Ukraine would supposedly collapse, there were already three deadlines for capturing the Donetsk region: September 1, December 1, and December 25," Zelenskyy noted.
Russia's 2026 deadlines
He stressed that in 2026, the Kremlin once again pushed back the date for capturing the Donetsk region. Initially, Russia planned to occupy Donbas by March 31, then by September 1, and has now set a new deadline of December 31.
"If Russia does not end its war, it will once again have to postpone this deadline as well. If Putin wants to sacrifice another million of his soldiers by continuing to smash against this wall, then the million Russians who have not yet been mobilized into the Russian army and are currently standing in line for fuel should think carefully about what awaits them next," the president said.
Zelenskyy noted that Ukraine has presented the aggressor state with every possible proposal to end the war, but Moscow has rejected them each time. He said that just yesterday Russia once again clearly demonstrated its desire to continue fighting, adding that "as many obstacles as possible must be created to prevent that desire from continuing."
A Russian recruit may survive only 20 to 35 minutes after reaching combat positions. The main reason is the extensive use of Ukrainian drones.
CNN reported that following Ukraine's recent strikes on Russian targets, the Kremlin has intensified its claims of advances in Donbas, although analysts have questioned the credibility of those assertions.
