Palisa reveals Russia's new Donbas deadline after 15 postponements

Russia has postponed its deadlines for reaching the administrative borders of Donetsk Oblast 15 times, with a new deadline approaching. Ukrainian officials report that Moscow's political leadership wants to capture Donbas by the end of 2026, while Russian military leaders are requesting a delay to March 31, 2027. Deputy Head of the Ukrainian President's Office Pavlo Palisa stated this on Facebook, noting that Russians have failed to achieve any operational success in the Donetsk region for years. He also said Ukrainian military officials discussed enemy plans with US President's special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on Sunday, adding that Russians pay a heavy price of hundreds of soldiers killed or wounded per square kilometer for their limited frontline advances. Palisa also addressed Russia's new challenge of jet-powered drones, saying Moscow has no technological breakthroughs of its own, having taken ready-made designs from those who provided them. He noted interceptors are already being developed and that the volume of partner assistance directly converts to saving lives of both military and civilians.