Volodymyr Zelenskyy said at the Bucha Summit 2026 that Russia aims to capture Donbas within two months and is putting pressure on the United States. He also reported the latest data on Russian losses at the front.
On Russia’s Demands Regarding Donbas
During his speech at the Bucha Summit 2026, Zelenskyy said that Russia is convincing the United States that it will be able to capture Ukrainian Donbas within two months. According to him, Russians want Ukraine to withdraw troops from Donetsk and Luhansk regions during this time, after which the war is supposedly to end. Zelenskyy said that Russia is spreading new timelines between states, and he is surprised how anyone can believe this.
“I am surprised how anyone can believe this. Russians say that in two months they will capture Donbas. And therefore, supposedly, Ukraine has two months to withdraw, and then the war will end. And if Ukraine does not withdraw within two months, then Russia will capture Donbas and then there will be other conditions,” Zelenskyy said.
The President of Ukraine stressed that if the goal of the Russians is to capture Donbas, then the question arises why the Russian side says it plans to go further and set further conditions. He said that the issue “is still not about Donbas.” According to Zelenskyy, Russians understand that they will not be able to gain control over the region within two months. That is why they are putting pressure on partners, in particular on the United States ahead of the midterm elections. But he added that Ukraine is ready for compromise.
“(…) we are ready for a ceasefire where we stand. I believe this is a strong compromise in both behavior and view of the Ukrainian side in order to move to diplomacy,” Zelenskyy said.
Russian Losses
Journalists of Ukrinform reported that Zelenskyy at the Bucha Summit named Russian losses at the front. According to him, Russians lost 89,000 personnel killed and seriously wounded. This refers to the period from January 1 to March 26. The President of Ukraine called Russian losses a serious figure. Zelenskyy also said that as of 2026, Russians planned to involve 409,000 people in the army.
“We see that they have mobilized, it seems to me, 20–22% as of this March date,” he said.
Zelenskyy stressed that Russians have lost more than one-fifth of their army. He also commented on the situation at the front, referring to Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi. According to the data, in the Pokrovsk direction there is an increase in Russian activity, but they do not have significant successes. Zelenskyy called the situation controlled.
Earlier, The Ukrainian Review reported on Zelenskyy’s statement regarding Western support. According to him, current sanctions and military support from the West are not enough to break the Kremlin’s resistance.
