Kremlin Sets Yet Another Deadline to Capture Donetsk Region, Zelenskyy Says

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Russia has already revised its deadline for the full capture of the Donetsk region 15 times, adding that the Kremlin’s latest target date is December 31, 2026.

The head of state said this in an evening address.

Zelensky stressed that since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the Russian political leadership has set deadlines for the capture of Donetsk Oblast 15 times, but none of them have been met.

According to the president, in 2022, the Kremlin planned to fully occupy the region by March 31, May 9, June 1, September 15, and December 31.

In 2023, Russia set two more deadlines—March 1 and December 31.

In 2024, as Zelensky noted, the occupiers also twice postponed the timeline for capturing the region.

In 2025, the Russian leadership has set three new dates at once—September 1, December 1, and December 25.

This year, according to the president, the Kremlin initially planned to capture the Donetsk region by March 31, then moved the deadline to September 1, and now has set a new date—December 31, 2026.

“If Russia does not end its war, they will have to postpone this deadline again,” Zelenskyy said.

The president also stressed that Ukraine continues to hold its positions, primarily in the Donetsk region, where the most intense Russian assaults are currently underway. He thanked the Ukrainian military for its resilience and noted that Russia continues to reject all proposals to end the war.

The day before, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin said that Russia supposedly controls the situation on the front and does not abandon its strategic goals in the war against Ukraine. He also spoke about the upcoming elections to the State Duma of the Russian Federation, calling them a test of the political system.

By the way, Vladimir Putin acknowledged the fuel shortage at gas stations in Russia and announced a possible complete ban on diesel fuel exports. According to him, the authorities are already using fuel reserves and are preparing additional measures to stabilize the situation.

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