Moscow's top aide declares persistent military assaults will continue
Russia has announced the continuation of its invasion in Ukraine, with Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov revealing new objectives for an autumn offensive. This comes as 26 EU countries, including Germany, Poland, and Italy, have planned to send troops to Ukraine as part of a peacekeeping force.
According to Gerasimov, Russian forces currently control around 99.7% of the Luhansk region in Ukraine, and approximately 79% of the Donetsk region. In Kherson, Russian forces control approximately 76%, while in Zaporizhzhia, the control is around 74%.
The Russian invasion, ongoing for over three and a half years, has seen repeated criticism from Europe over Moscow's plans to send troops to Ukraine. Russia has been accused of trying to gain time for new attacks by offering negotiations and setting new deadlines.
Gerasimov stated that constant attacks are currently underway along the entire front line. He also revealed that Russia is demanding that Ukrainian forces withdraw completely from the Donetsk region to achieve a ceasefire.
However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has rejected this demand. Kirill Dmitriev, a member of the Russian delegation in the negotiations, accused Europeans of trying to drag out the Ukraine conflict by making unrealistic demands. He urged the EU to stop sabotaging the peace process.
The EU, on the other hand, accuses Russia of a stalling tactic. They claim that Russia is trying to buy time for new attacks by offering negotiations and setting new deadlines. The Europeans have planned to send troops to Ukraine as part of a peacekeeping force, either by stationing soldiers on the ground in Ukraine or by maintaining a presence in NATO countries nearby through land, sea, or air support.
These figures regarding the control of various regions in Ukraine by Russian forces are not independently verifiable. The news of Russia threatening to capture the cities of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, considered important defensive strongholds by the Ukrainian forces, has not been confirmed with new facts.
