Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Moscow has reportedly abandoned the idea of trading occupied areas of Ukraine’s Sumy and Kharkiv regions for full control of Donetsk and Luhansk, according to Bloomberg sources close to the Kremlin.
Instead, Putin now aims to turn those occupied territories into a permanent "buffer zone." While the Defense Ministry reassures the Kremlin that taking all of Donetsk by the end of 2026 is achievable, many Russian commanders consider that timeline completely unrealistic — pushback to 2027 or beyond.
As Russia concentrates its assault on Kostiantynivka to reach Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, the question remains: Was Putin ever genuinely planning to give any land back?
#Putin, #UkraineWar, #KyivPost, #Bloomberg, #Sumy, #Kharkiv, #Donbas, #Kostiantynivka, #Shorts, #UkraineNews
Moscow has reportedly abandoned the idea of trading occupied areas of Ukraine’s Sumy and Kharkiv regions for full control of Donetsk and Luhansk, according to Bloomberg sources close to the Kremlin.
Instead, Putin now aims to turn those occupied territories into a permanent "buffer zone." While the Defense Ministry reassures the Kremlin that taking all of Donetsk by the end of 2026 is achievable, many Russian commanders consider that timeline completely unrealistic — pushback to 2027 or beyond.
As Russia concentrates its assault on Kostiantynivka to reach Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, the question remains: Was Putin ever genuinely planning to give any land back?
#Putin, #UkraineWar, #KyivPost, #Bloomberg, #Sumy, #Kharkiv, #Donbas, #Kostiantynivka, #Shorts, #UkraineNews
