Russia is claiming the entire territory of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson
The Russian delegation aims to secure the transfer of all territories of Ukraine's four regions — Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson — under its control during negotiations with the US in Saudi Arabia, reports The Moscow Times.
Although the Russian army does not fully control any of these regions, the Kremlin hopes to incorporate them as administrative borders in accordance with the Russian constitution, that is, as annexed territories. According to sources, Putin cannot afford to lose these territories politically, so Russia intends to strengthen its claim to them by any means necessary. "There is no mechanism for regions to exit the composition in the Russian constitution. We need the entire Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions," said a source.
According to another Russian official, the Kremlin hopes that Washington will pressure Kyiv regarding the complete withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the territories occupied by Russia.
As an alternative, Russia might attempt to seize other regions of Ukraine, such as Dnipropetrovsk or Sumy, and then offer to exchange them for Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.
As of February, the Russian army controls 98.6% of Luhansk region, 62.6% of Donetsk, 71.9% of Zaporizhzhia, and 69.3% of Kherson.
Israeli military expert David Sharp emphasizes that Russia cannot quickly seize these regions militarily. "For the Russians, capturing a couple of villages is already a significant achievement. An extraordinary event must occur to cross the Dnieper and capture Kherson, or even to enter the city of Zaporizhzhia located on both banks. This is a very difficult task," he says.
