Russia doesn’t need Ukraine to leave Donetsk region anymore – it’s about to forcibly make them do it.
While the peace negotiations seem to have gotten a renewed impulse this last month, on the ground, Russian forces keep advancing at the fastest pace since February 2022.
In the Zaporozhie southern region, Gulyaipole and Stepnogorsk were conquered.
Gulyaipole, the second biggest Zaporozhie city, is an important stronghold and a key logistics hub and it fell after a short siege.
In the Donetsk region, Mirnograd (Dimitrov), Rodinskoye, Artemovka and Volnoye were also conquered.
Mirnograd/Dimitrov is an important part of the Pokrovsk/Krasnoarmeysk agglomeration, one of the last major fortified areas under Ukraine’s control in the Donbass.
Now, its conquest opens up terrain for Russia to arrive at the gates of Slavyansk and Kramatorsk – the last Donetsk bastions.
Russian forces raise the national flag over the towns of Dimitrov and Gulyaipole https://t.co/4eUqiWnxnr pic.twitter.com/GqP1k7Zntq
— Sputnik (@SputnikInt) December 27, 2025
So, it’s not surprising that yesterday (27), Russian President Vladimir Putin said that he is not counting anymore on Ukraine agreeing to withdraw from its dominated areas in Donetsk region.
Because they are about to conquer it, anyway.
Reuters reported:
“Russian President Vladimir Putin said Ukraine was in no hurry for peace and if it did not want to resolve their conflict peacefully, Moscow would accomplish all its goals by force.
[…] Russian commanders told Putin during an inspection visit that Moscow’s forces had captured the towns of Mirnograd, Rodynskoye and Artemovka in Ukraine’s eastern region of Donetsk, as well as Gulyaipole and Stepnogorsk in the Zaporizhzhia region, the Kremlin said on the Telegram messaging app.”
Putin: Russia will achieve its aims in Ukraine ‘by military means’ if Kyiv rejects peace
The Times pic.twitter.com/8iUg1LtZSS
— tut0ugh (@tut0ugh) December 28, 2025
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