This is how long Russia would take to seize Donbas region in Ukraine

Amid reports that US President Donald Trump is mooting a 28-point plan to bring peace in Ukraine, the analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) have predicted how long it would take Russia to capture the prized Donbas region.

The pace of the Russian invasion has picked up since the August 15 meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Two months after the crucial meeting, Russia has seized approximately 908 square kilometers of additional territory in Ukraine. This area is roughly equivalent in size to Berlin, the analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) claimed.

Experts note that some of these territorial gains were due to seasonal weather (fog and  rain), which impaired the Ukrainian Armed Forces' ability to use drones. However, the speed of Russian advancement will likely slow as weather conditions stabilise. Despite recent successes, ISW predicts that it will take Russia years to capture Donbas. Analysts claim that Russia's success is inevitable, and the Kremlin is now making significant efforts to force Ukraine to capitulate.

Even Trump is convinced that Ukraine will soon lose Donbas. He stated that Ukraine will be forced to give up even the lands it didn't lose during the standoff with Russia. "They will lose the territory soon, yes," he said.

Realising the fact that they wouldn’t be able to seize the territory by force, the Kremlin is  intensifying its campaign to force Ukraine to surrender critical territories in the Donetsk region.

The report added that continued military aid from Europe and European funding for  American arms sales will likely allow the Ukrainian Armed Forces to defend the "Fortress Belt" in the Donetsk region for several years and perhaps even recapture some Russian gains.

Earlier, there were reports that Russians are conducting a strategic offensive operation in the Pokrovsk area to break through the Ukrainian defenses and occupy the Donetsk region. The Russian Federation has concentrated a large number of personnel in the Pokrovsk, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrsky, told  The New York Post .

“The enemy tried to create a local advantage - a significant part of the group was sent to the area: of the approximately 700 thousand Russian military personnel estimated to be in Ukraine, approximately 150 thousand were involved near Pokrovsk. Large mechanised units and four marine brigades were also involved in the offensive,” he added.

According to Syrsky, the Russians want to capture Pokrovsk and neighboring cities from the north, south, and east and prevent supplies from passing through. Then, civilians will leave Pokrovsk, and the Russians will be able to make a "final maneuver" in the Donetsk region.

 

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