Russia’s military leadership has reportedly asked the Kremlin to extend its deadline for taking control of the Donbas, admitting that completing the operation by the end of 2026 is unrealistic. Pavlo Palisa, deputy head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, said Russian commanders are seeking until March 31, 2027 to reach the administrative borders of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Kremlin deadline slips further out of reach The Russian political leadership has ordered its military to advance to the administrative borders of the two regions by December 31, according to Palisa. But military commanders are reportedly warning that the timetable cannot be met. They are instead pushing for a three-month extension, underlining the difficulty Russia continues to face in achieving one of Moscow’s central war objectives. Palisa said he believes even the proposed March deadline is unrealistic. A target Russia has repeatedly missed The latest request comes after repeated Kremlin deadlines for capturing the entirety of Donetsk region. According to the Institute for the Study of War, Russia has set deadlines for achieving the objective 15 times since the full-scale invasion began — and failed to meet every one. The latest timetable reflects Moscow’s continued determination to seize the remaining Ukrainian-held territory, despite the slow pace of its advance. Donetsk remains the critical battleground Russian forces continue to focus heavily on key Donetsk targets, with Kostiantynivka, Sloviansk and Kramatorsk among the strategically important locations in their sights. Taking the wider Donbas would represent a major political and military prize for the Kremlin and remains central to Russia’s negotiating position. But the reported request for more time exposes the gap between Moscow’s political ambitions and what its military believes it can actually deliver on the battlefield. For Kyiv, the message is stark: Russia remains committed to the offensive, but its own commanders appear increasingly doubtful that the Kremlin’s timetable can be met. Russian military asks Kremlin to push back deadline for seizing Donbas, Ukraine says
