Russia sets new deadline to seize Donbas

According to him, Russia's plans remain unchanged: it aims to capture the entire Donbas. These plans stayed the same throughout 2025, and Russia has now set a new deadline, ordering its forces to reach the administrative borders of Donbas by the end of March or early April.

Palisa noted that Russia has repeatedly shifted its deadlines and said he personally does not see Russia's ability to accomplish this task within the stated timeframe.

In Kharkiv, Sumy, and Dnipropetrovsk regions, the Russian forces are planning to establish so-called buffer zones. At a strategic level, Russia would like to attempt offensives toward Odesa and Mykolaiv, but there is an unfavorable factor for Moscow.

Palisa explained that, when objectively assessing their own capabilities, Russia’s top military leadership is not currently looking in that direction.

At present, Russia's top priority is the occupation of Donbas and creating conditions for operational success in the Zaporizhzhia direction. Russian forces are trying to quickly achieve strategic success and, in the process, secure operational success as well. Palisa concluded that so far, only Ukrainian forces have managed to achieve operational success.

According to analysts from the US-based Institute for the Study of War, even a potential withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Donbas would not stop Russian aggression. Moscow’s territorial ambitions extend far beyond Donbas and target Ukraine as a whole.

Any public statements by the Kremlin claiming readiness for peace through territorial concessions are merely a cover for the broader geopolitical ambitions of the Russian regime.