Putin wants all of Donbas — but Russia can’t even protect what it already controls

Donetsk and Luhansk. The two eastern Ukrainian oblasts that make up the Donbas region, which Putin has declared a goal of seizing.

The Russian leader has even called Russian control over Donbas a “main goal” of the Russian invasion.

In a December 2025 report, Reuters wrote that approximately 80% of Donetsk Oblast and the entirety of Luhansk Oblast were under Russian control.

But even though Putin wants all of Donbas, the Russian forces might first want to learn how to defend the territory they already control.

Radar, Fuel and Ammo Up in Smoke

The Ukrainian Unmanned Forces have released footage of a Ukrainian operation that left two Russian radar systems, a fuel depot, and an ammunition storage site burning in Donetsk.

It is unclear when the footage was released.

According to the text accompanying the footage, the two radar systems have different uses: one of them is used to determine the altitude of air targets, while the other is used for the early detection of incoming air targets.

Regarding the ammunition storage site, the Ukrainian forces did not disclose what type of ammunition was stored there.

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Russian Advances Stalled

The Institute for the Study of War released an update on estimated Russian territorial gains in Ukraine in early May 2026.

In it, the think tank assessed that Russian forces gained more than 318 km² in January before the advances dropped sharply to 122 km² in February and a mere 23 km² in March.

In April, Russian forces even lost control of more than 116 km², according to the report.

Sources: The Ukrainian Unmanned Forces, Ukrinform, Reuters, The Moscow Times, Institute for the Study of War

This article is made and published by Jens Asbjørn Bogen, who may have used AI in the preparation