The Russian military has set plans to seize half of Ukraine by 2026. The plan is to extend far beyond Russia’s formal territorial demands and aim to seize a significant part of central Ukraine and most of southern and eastern Ukraine.
Ukrainian Presidential Office Deputy Head Colonel Pavlo Palisa presented a map that showed Russia’s aim to capture the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, Odesa and Mykolaiv regions.
The map presented by Palisa to US officials and journalists revealed Russian military objectives in Ukraine. According to the map, Russia aims to seize an additional 222,700 square kilometres of Ukrainian territory, bringing its total territorial control to 336,300 square kilometres.
Russian Military Plans to Seize Half of Ukraine
The blueprint suggests a push to capture all territory east of the Dnipro River, including unoccupied parts of Zaporizhia as well as full control of Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Poltava.
This would nearly double the land Russia held at the start of its full-scale invasion in 2022, when it controlled approximately 162,000 square kilometres.
Additionally, the map outlines a phased Russian strategy, with short-term goals focused on securing key territory in the Zaporizhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions.
These areas are expected to serve as staging grounds for further offensives aimed at capturing the remainder of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions by September 1, 2025.
Palisa’s projection includes a renewed Russian effort to seize the remainder of the Kherson region and establish a northern “buffer zone” by the close of 2025. This would involve crossing the Dnipro River to recapture Kherson City and expanding territorial gains into Dnipropetrovsk, as well as Ukraine’s northern border regions of Chernihiv, Sumy, and Kharkiv.
Also Read: Putin Retaliates Days After UK Promised Ukraine 100,000 Drones
Recent Attack on Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin launched retaliatory strikes on Ukraine, just days after the United Kingdom (UK) pledged to supply Kyiv with 10,000 drones.
In a social media post on June 10, 2025, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that Kyiv had endured one of the largest attacks to date, with widespread strikes involving Shahed drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles.
In addition, he noted that other regions impacted by the strikes included Odesa, Dnipro, and Chernihiv.
Also Read: Ukraine Assaults Russian Factory with Long-range Suicide Drones
Russia-Ukraine War
The Russia-Ukraine war, which began in February 2014, escalated in February 2022 when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
However, the war has persisted with intense fighting, particularly in eastern and southern Ukraine, where Russia has seized significant territories, but Ukraine has initiated counteroffensive operations to reclaim these areas.
Efforts to negotiate a ceasefire or peace agreement have so far been unsuccessful, with tens of thousands of civilians and soldiers losing their lives, and millions have been displaced.
Follow our WhatsApp Channel and X Account for real-time news updates.
