Putin's Ultimatum: Donbas Seizure by Force or Ukrainian Withdrawal
The conflict in Ukraine intensifies as Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated his resolve to secure full control of the Donbas region, stating that Russia would resort to military force unless Ukrainian forces voluntarily withdraw. This ultimatum has been unequivocally rejected by Kyiv, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasizing that Ukraine will not concede territory that Moscow has failed to capture on the battlefield.
Escalating Demands Amidst Protracted Conflict
In an interview published on Thursday, Putin asserted Russia's intent to "liberate these territories by force of arms" should Ukrainian troops not depart. This stance comes after Russia's large-scale invasion in February 2022, following eight years of skirmishes between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian forces in the Donbas—comprising the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Currently, Russia maintains control over all of Luhansk, over 80% of Donetsk, and other significant portions of Ukraine, including Crimea (annexed in 2014), Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, and smaller parts of Kharkiv, Sumy, Mykolaiv, and Dnipropetrovsk. Approximately 5,000 square kilometers of Donetsk still remain under Ukrainian administration.
Complex Peace Negotiations and International Skepticism
Discussions aimed at brokering a peace deal have involved Russia and the United States. During recent meetings in the Kremlin with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Putin acknowledged that Russia had accepted some American proposals but deemed others unacceptable, describing the process as "difficult work." While former U.S. President Donald Trump, who discussed proposals with Putin in Alaska in August, expressed confidence in Putin's desire for peace, European leaders have voiced skepticism, accusing Putin of merely feigning interest in the Trump-led peace initiative. Putin himself declined to elaborate on Russia's specific points of agreement or disagreement, citing concerns that it could disrupt the ongoing peace efforts. Ukraine, meanwhile, is actively seeking European support during these U.S.-brokered talks, particularly over concerns that current proposals might unduly favor Moscow's position.
Continued Civilian Impact and Energy Sector Targeting
Amidst these political maneuverings, Russian military aggression against civilian areas of Ukraine persists. Overnight attacks into Thursday saw a ballistic missile strike Kryvyi Rih, injuring six people, including a three-year-old girl, and damaging over 40 residential buildings, a school, and gas pipes. In Sloviansk, apartment buildings were hit by an airstrike. Kherson witnessed the tragic death of a six-year-old girl due to artillery shelling, with doctors unable to save her from severe injuries.
As winter approaches, Russia has escalated its targeting of Ukraine's energy and utilities infrastructure. DTEK, a Ukrainian energy company, reported that an overnight attack in the Odesa region left 51,800 households without power. Similarly, operations at a heat and power plant in Kherson were suspended after a series of Russian attacks, cutting off heat to 40,500 customers. The Energy Ministry also confirmed widespread power outages affecting approximately 60,000 residents in the front-line Donetsk region. In retaliation, Ukraine has taken responsibility for drone attacks on Russian oil export infrastructure, including empty tankers, while denying involvement in other similar incidents.
International Calls for Protection and Retaliatory Strikes
Turkey, a NATO member maintaining diplomatic ties with both warring nations, has urged both Russia and Ukraine to spare energy infrastructure from the conflict, emphasizing the humanitarian implications as winter nears. Concurrently, in Russian-occupied Kherson, Moscow-installed officials reported that two men were killed by a Ukrainian drone strike on their vehicle, highlighting the reciprocal nature of the conflict. The ongoing hostilities underscore the complex and brutal reality on the ground as diplomatic efforts struggle to find common ground.