Putin replaced Russian commanders in Ukraine after plans to seize the Donbas fell through
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin announced changes in the commanders of two key Russian military groups participating in the war against Ukraine. The personnel changes came amid a slowdown in the Russian offensive and the failure to meet plans to capture the entire Donetsk region.
According to Russian media reports, Andrei Ivanayev, who previously commanded the “East” group, has replaced Valery Solodchuk as head of the “Center” group, which operates in the northwestern and central parts of the Donetsk region. Solodchuk himself, whom the Ukrainian side links to crimes committed by Russian military personnel in Bucha, will head the Joint Logistics Service of the Russian Ministry of Defense.
At the same time, command of the “East” group, which operates in the South Donetsk sector near the administrative border between Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions, has been transferred to its chief of staff, Pyotr Bolgayev.
According to the Ukrainian OSINT project DeepState, in July, Russian troops advanced only 88 square kilometers into Ukrainian territory. By comparison, in January–April of this year, they captured between 126 and 245 square kilometers each month, and at the end of 2025, the pace of the offensive reached about 500 square kilometers per month.
Reuters previously reported that the Russian General Staff had promised the Kremlin as early as last year that it would quickly capture Kostiantynivka, Druzhkivka, Sloviansk, and Kramatorsk. Subsequently, these deadlines were pushed back first to the fall and then to the end of 2026. At the same time, according to Bloomberg, some Russian military officials believe that the fighting in the Donbas could continue into 2027.
According to Bloomberg, despite the slow advance and mounting casualties, Putin has not abandoned his intention to fully occupy the Donetsk region and does not plan to engage in peace talks without achieving this goal.
Meanwhile, the Financial Times, citing sources, reported that the Kremlin’s ambitions may extend far beyond the Donbas and include establishing control over the entire left bank of Ukraine, including Kyiv and Odesa.
According to estimates by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), by 2025, Russian troops had captured about 0.8% of Ukraine’s territory, and the Russian military’s total losses by mid-2026 had reached approximately 1.4 million killed and wounded.
Source: The Moscow Times.
As a reminder, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law imposing strict restrictions on citizens abroad who have been convicted in absentia under political articles of the Russian Criminal or Administrative Codes, specifically for “discrediting” the army, calling for sanctions, or participating in “undesirable organizations.”
Since the start of the full-scale war, every trip Vladimir Putin takes resembles a military special operation.
