Putin set a new deadline for the Russian army in Donetsk: is the Kremlin's plan realistic?.

According to ТСН: Vladimir Putin announced a new deadline for the full occupation of the Donetsk region - by April 1. However, Ukrainian military experts consider these Kremlin plans unrealistic given the current situation on the front.

Expert's Comment

Colonel of the Reserve of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Roman Svitan noted that without a significant breakthrough in Ukraine's defense, Russia will not be able to accomplish this task within the specified timeframe. He emphasized that the Ukrainian Defense Forces hold strategic positions, and the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk-Druzhkivka agglomeration has become a powerful fortified area with large industrial zones.

“This is a serious fortified area that is virtually impossible to capture quickly,” Svitan emphasized.

Deadline for capturing Donetsk

The expert believes that even at the current pace of Russia's offensive, it will take at least 3-4 years for the full occupation of Donetsk. He compared this to the Pokrovsk-Mirnograd agglomeration, where fighting has been ongoing for over a year and a half, despite the fact that this area is significantly smaller than northern Donetsk.

Strategic significance of the region

Svitan emphasized that control over this direction is strategically significant.

“If the enemy reaches northern Donetsk, the way opens further to the Kharkiv, Poltava, and Dnipropetrovsk regions, which are primarily flat. It will be much more difficult to hold off the offensive there,” he explained.

The expert also noted that maintaining control over Donetsk is one of the key tasks of Ukraine's defense, and the Kremlin's statements about the rapid capture of the region, in his opinion, have more of a political-propaganda basis.

It is worth noting that the pace of advancement of Russian occupiers has significantly decreased and currently amounts to approximately 7 square kilometers per day. The enemy is forced to accumulate reserves as the Ukrainian Defense Forces are eliminating invaders faster than they can replenish.

It was also reported that in the eastern Zaporizhzhia region, in the Huliaipole direction, the Russian army has increased the number of storm groups two to three times.

The situation on the front remains tense, and experts believe that in the coming months, the activity of both sides may increase. At the same time, it is important that the Ukrainian army continues to hold its positions and actively responds to threats. The presence of fortified areas, such as Slavyansk-Kramatorsk-Druzhkivka, adds confidence in Ukraine's defensive capabilities.