Announcement
Volodymyr Zelensky  ·  2026-06-29 19:12

Telegram @V_Zelenskiy_official

Of course, I'm receiving daily reports on the situation at the front. I want to thank all combat brigades, every unit carrying out their missions and holding Ukrainian positions. This is very important. Especially in the Donetsk region, where the Russian assaults are most intense. But it suffices to mention just one fact: since the start of the full-scale war, the Russian army has been given as many as 15 deadlines for capturing our Donetsk region. Russia's political leadership remains obsessed with Donbas. They have entertained this delusion – that they would fully capture Donbas – 15 times already. In 2022, the deadlines were March 31, then May 9, June 1, September 15, and December 31. In 2023, Putin set two more deadlines for capturing Donbas: March 1, and then, when that failed again, they moved it to December 31. In 2024, there were again two such deadlines. In 2025, when the Russians tried to convince President Trump that Ukraine would supposedly fall, there were already three final dates for capturing the Donetsk region, namely, September 1, December 1, and December 25. Already this year, the Russians have again pushed back the date for the capture of the Donetsk region. At first, they had set a deadline of March 31 of this year, then September 1, and now the deadline is December 31. If Russia does not end its war, they will have to move this deadline again as well. If Putin wants to sacrifice another million of his soldiers to keep smashing against this wall, then the million Russians who have not yet been mobilized into the Russian army and are arguing in gas lines should think about what awaits them next. We have already made every proposal to end this war, and Russia refuses every time. Just recently, Russia's clear desire to continue fighting was voiced again. So there must be as many obstacles as possible to its desire to keep waging war.

Notes

Of course, I'm receiving daily reports on the situation at the front. I want to thank all combat brigades, every unit carrying out their missions and holding Ukrainian positions. This is very important. Especially in the Donetsk region, where the Russian assaults are most intense. But it suffices to mention just one fact: since the start of the full-scale war, the Russian army has been given as many as 15 deadlines for capturing our Donetsk region. Russia’s political leadership remains obsessed with Donbas. They have entertained this delusion – that they would fully capture Donbas – 15 times already. In 2022, the deadlines were March 31, then May 9, June 1, September 15, and December 31. In 2023, Putin set two more deadlines for capturing Donbas: March 1, and then, when that failed again, they moved it to December 31. In 2024, there were again two such deadlines. In 2025, when the Russians tried to convince President Trump that Ukraine would supposedly fall, there were already three final dates for capturing the Donetsk region, namely, September 1, December 1, and December 25. Already this year, the Russians have again pushed back the date for the capture of the Donetsk region. At first, they had set a deadline of March 31 of this year, then September 1, and now the deadline is December 31. If Russia does not end its war, they will have to move this deadline again as well. If Putin wants to sacrifice another million of his soldiers to keep smashing against this wall, then the million Russians who have not yet been mobilized into the Russian army and are arguing in gas lines should think about what awaits them next. We have already made every proposal to end this war, and Russia refuses every time. Just recently, Russia’s clear desire to continue fighting was voiced again. So there must be as many obstacles as possible to its desire to keep waging war.