The Russian Ministry of Defense has released images showing a map behind the Chief of the General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, suggesting Moscow’s possible ambitions to conquer the regions of Kharkiv and Odesa, up to the border with Romania.
The map appeared as Gerasimov was speaking about Russia’s spring-summer campaign, stating that Moscow will continue both battles on the front line and mass attacks on Ukrainian cities, despite peace negotiations, as reported by Kyiv Independent.
Although Moscow has publicly insisted on full control over the regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia, the map indicates possible expansion plans in Odesa and Kharkiv, neither of which were included in previous demands.
Russia occupies only about 4% of the Kharkiv region, while the Odesa region remains entirely under Ukrainian control. Capturing these areas would give Russia control over Ukraine's Black Sea coast, main transport hubs, and industrial centers - long-term strategic objectives for Moscow, according to the Ukrainian publication.
Russian President Vladimir Putin previously demanded that Ukraine abandon aspirations to join NATO and cede more important cities as preconditions for peace. The Kremlin reiterated these conditions during the discussions of less than an hour in Istanbul in July.
The discussion about territorial concessions arose after American President Donald Trump floated the idea of "territories" in conversations with European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
A source from the Ukrainian Presidential Administration previously told Kyiv Independent that Moscow's proposal would involve Kyiv withdrawing from areas controlled by Ukraine, Donetsk and Luhansk, in exchange for a partial Russian withdrawal from Sumy and Kharkiv.
Zelensky rejected such proposals on August 9, stating that Ukraine will not give up territory to end the war.
Since returning to office in January, Donald Trump promised to quickly mediate peace but faced repeated failures as Moscow refused a ceasefire and insisted on extensive concessions.
Despite possible ambitions, Russia would likely need a long time to capture Odesa and Kharkiv. Since November 2022, Russian forces have only occupied 5,842 square kilometers (2,256 square miles) of Ukrainian territory, approximately 0.97% of the country's territory.
T.D.