At the meeting in the Kremlin, the military reiterated that the complete occupation of Oblast is possible by fall 2026. Putin has repeatedly stated that capturing the Donbas is a strategic goal, but his army has not yet achieved it.
The Russian military command has announced deadlines for capturing the Donbas and individual cities several times before, but has failed to meet them. Observers see the new deadline as an attempt to appease the leadership.
Scott Lucas, a professor of international politics at the Clinton Institute, told 24tv that the Russian military command regularly lies to Putin with fabricated success reports. For example, Chief of the General Staff Gerasimov recently reported a supposed breakthrough near Kupiansk, which turned out to be false. According to Lucas, the changed rhetoric from Moscow—most recently, the Kremlin signaled readiness for talks—indicates that Ukraine has forced Russian troops onto the defensive.
Source: 24tv.ua
