Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has ridiculed Russia’s repeated failures to seize the Donetsk region, stating that Moscow has set as many as 15 different deadlines for its capture since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, all of which have passed without success.

In a statement posted on X, Zelensky highlighted Russia’s persistent obsession with Donbas and the shifting timelines set by its political leadership.

“Since the start of the full-scale war, the Russian army has been given as many as 15 deadlines for capturing our Donetsk region. Russia’s political leadership remains obsessed with Donbas. They have entertained this delusion – that they would fully capture Donbas – 15 times already,” Zelensky said.

He said that in 2022 alone, Russia allegedly set several targets, including March 31, May 9, June 1, September 15, and December 31. According to Zelenskyy, further deadlines were set in 2023, followed by additional timelines in 2024 and 2025, all of which he said were not achieved.

Zelenskyy further stated that Moscow has continued to revise its expectations into 2026, asserting that the Kremlin’s repeated failure to capture Donetsk reflects what he described as a “strategic miscalculation.”

He argued that if Russia continues the war, it will again be forced to adjust its objectives, while warning of the human cost of continued fighting.

The Ukrainian president also said that Russia’s political leadership remains “fixated” on the Donbas region, and suggested that continued military pressure would further strain Russian society.

Russia has not responded to the latest remarks. Independent verification of the timeline and figures cited by Zelenskyy was not immediately available. (ILKHA)