Ukraine Must Become a Region of Russia — Kadyrov

The war in Ukraine will only end when the country becomes a part of Russia. This was stated by the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, in an interview with "RIA Novosti." He emphasized that ceasing military operations is currently not "beneficial."

"The goals and objectives of the armed forces are not derived from the air; they are the guarantee of our country's entire security. Peace at our borders is only possible when Ukraine becomes a region or district of Russia," Kadyrov noted.

In early September, it was reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin is preparing a new assault in Ukraine while dragging out negotiations regarding the end of the war. According to assessments from European countries, his army will attempt to advance in the Pokrovsk region, which has eluded capture for over a year.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Russia has moved 100,000 troops near the city. Capturing Pokrovsk would open the way to Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, the last major cities in Donetsk province that have not been occupied.

"Now, in exchange for peace, Putin is demanding that Ukraine completely abandon Donbas, but at the same time agrees to freeze the front line in the Kherson and Zaporizhia regions. Zelensky noted that fulfilling these conditions will not stop the war; Russia will simply use the acquired territories as a base for further attacks,” he explained.

“If we were to somehow retreat from Donbas tomorrow, which will not happen, we would open up a defenseless space next to Kharkiv, a city with a population of half a million. He would also seize the industrial center of Dnipro," Zelensky elaborated. The president emphasized that should Putin succeed in capturing all of Ukraine, he would utilize it to launch an assault on Europe.

“Currently, Russia controls 88% of Donbas and 73% of the Zaporizhia and Kherson regions, totaling about 20% of Ukraine’s territory. Despite ambitious plans, Putin's army is advancing very slowly; last year, he managed to capture 1% of Ukraine's territory, and during the summer offensive in 2025, only 0.3%,” he stated.