In an interview aired by ABC News on 9/9, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated, "Russian President Vladimir Putin told the Americans, the White House, and President Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, that he would take Donbass within two to three months, four at most.”

The key industrial region of Donbass in eastern Ukraine comprises Donetsk and Luhansk, two of the four provinces Russia claimed to have annexed in late 2022. Russia subsequently launched offensives to gain complete control of Luhansk province but has been unable to dislodge Ukrainian forces from roughly one-third of the territory they defend in Donetsk province.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at a press conference in Uzhhorod on 5/9. Photo: AFP

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at a press conference in Uzhhorod on 5/9. Photo: AFP

By the end of August, Russia controlled 46,570 km2, equivalent to 88% of Donbass. The Ukrainian military still holds several key strongholds in Donetsk, including the cities of Slovyansk, Kramatorsk, and Kostyantynivka, forming a significant part of the eastern "fortress belt" blocking Russia's advance.

At the Alaska summit on 15/8 with Trump, Putin reportedly proposed that Ukraine withdraw its troops from the areas it controls in Donetsk in exchange for a freeze of the front line along the rest of the battle line.

Zelensky explained Ukraine's inability to concede Donbass: “That's the most fortified area with the most combat-capable defense forces. It's like a fortress, and if we withdraw our troops and let Russia occupy the entire Donbass, who can guarantee they won't advance another 90 km towards Kharkov? Putin has always wanted to take Kharkov.”

The Kremlin has not yet commented on the Ukrainian president's statement.

On 9/9, Zelensky accused Russia of an airstrike on Donetsk where a glide bomb hit a crowd waiting to receive pensions in the village of Yarova, less than 10 km from the front line, killing at least 21 people and injuring more than 20 others.

The Ukrainian president condemned the attack and called on the international community to increase pressure on Russia. “The world must not stand idly by. The US, Europe, and the G20 must react decisively," Zelensky added.

The Russian Ministry of Defense has not commented on the information, but Moscow has repeatedly affirmed that it does not target civilians, only military or military-related targets.

Map of the Donbass region. Graphic: Telegraph

Map of the Donbass region. Graphic: Telegraph

Following a high-level meeting with Zelensky and European leaders at the White House on 18/8, Trump announced that he was arranging a Russia-Ukraine summit. On 3/9, Putin said he would meet Zelensky in person, but only in Moscow.

"I can't go to Moscow when my country is being attacked by missiles every day. Putin understands that. He only said that to delay the meeting. The Russian president is playing games with the US,” Zelensky emphasized.

Russia has made steady progress in Donetsk province in recent months, concentrating firepower and deploying additional forces from other fronts to focus on the offensive. Ukrainian military commander Oleksandr Syrsky said earlier this week that Russia has three times as many troops as Ukraine in some areas, even up to six times in places where Moscow has concentrated its forces.

Huyen Le (ABC News, Politico)