Putin vows to continue military operation in Ukraine; 'Fighting in Donbass will not stop'

In a news conference following his visit to Uzbekistan, President of Russia, Vladimir Putin evidently stated that Russia’s military operations in Ukraine will not cease. He also clarified that currently one of the main goals was to “liberate the entire territory of Donbass.” He further stated that the Russian military was not fighting with its full strength. 

“Our offensive operation in the Donbas is not stopping,” said Vladimir Putin at a summit in Uzbekistan. “They’re moving forward — not at a very fast pace, but they are gradually taking more and more territory.”

Currently, Russian forces are majorly present in four Ukrainian regions- Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson. The impending objective of the Russian military is to occupy as much Ukrainian territory as possible while holding on to the already fallen areas.

Remarkably, in a previous statement on 7 July 2022, Russian president Vladimir Putin had hinted at a bigger offensive as far as Ukraine was concerned. However, more than six months into the conflict, Russia is yet to accomplish its set military objectives in Ukraine. The ongoing war in Ukraine commenced on 24 February 2022 with Russia’s mobilization of troops into Ukraine’s territory.

Ukraine's president had vowed a similar objective

In June, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed that almost one-fifth of Ukraine’s territory was under Russian control. While addressing the lawmakers in the Chamber of Deputies of Luxembourg, he said, “As of today, about 20 per cent of our territory is under the control of the occupiers. Almost 125 thousand square kilometres. This is much larger than the area of all the Benelux Countries combined.” Adding to his statement, he claimed that around 12 million Ukrainians had become internally displaced while more than 5 million had left the country.  

Moreover, the President of Ukraine had also made similar vows when he had promised to retake the regions of Crimea and Donbass from Russian control during a televised address amid the Kherson offensive. Additionally, the Ukrainian military has changed its tactics from a defensive stance to leading a counter-offensive against the Russians. 

Russia-Ukraine war: What does the future hold?

As per the latest intelligence update from the UK’s Ministry of Defense, Ukrainian forces are engaged in an offensive in the northeast of the country. The Ukrainian military has additionally captured most of the Kharkiv region, including the city of Izium, which had served as an important Russian re-supply hub. 

On the other hand, Russian troops have successfully established a defensive line between the Oskil River and the town of Svatove. 

As per a report by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (United Nations), as of September 12, more than 14,000 civilian casualties have been recorded, including 5827 confirmed deaths due to the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.