Russia denies Ukraine's sovereignty and emphasizes the need for further annexation, according to ISW.
Russia consistently denies Ukraine's sovereignty and justifies its aggression through propaganda regarding the so-called "historical lands." The godfather of Russian President Vladimir Putin and former head of the banned party "OPZZH," Viktor Medvedchuk, has openly called for the annexation of Ukraine. This information comes from UNN citing an analytical report from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
Details
Analysts, using Viktor Medvedchuk's article as an example, concluded that the Kremlin is opposed to negotiations with Ukraine and the West.
According to ISW, Medvedchuk also insists that modern Ukraine lacks historical legitimacy, and its independence is a "historical mistake."
The Institute for the Study of War notes that such statements from Medvedchuk reflect the Kremlin's strategic policy of denying Ukraine's sovereignty.
Key findings from ISW as of February 5:
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky continues to demonstrate his readiness to negotiate with Russia from a principled position that ensures the preservation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity in the long term.
- Zelensky confirmed that the Constitution of Ukraine prohibits elections during wartime, but Ukraine remains committed to the idea of holding elections in accordance with the Constitution and laws of Ukraine after the war ends.
- On February 4, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russian troops have lost between 300,000 to 350,000 killed and between 600,000 to 700,000 wounded during combat operations.
- On the night of February 4-5, Ukrainian forces struck an oil depot in Krasnodar Krai as part of an ongoing campaign targeting Russian defense industrial enterprises and oil refineries.
- Russian military continues efforts to restructure military-administrative control over military services in peacetime, seemingly separating administrative control over the Air Force and Navy from military districts.
- The Kremlin continues to prioritize domestic political stability over efforts to mitigate economic pressure and labor shortages.
- Ukraine and Russia conducted a prisoner exchange on February 5.
- Russian troops advanced near Kupiansk, Toretsk, Pokrovsk, and Kurakhovo.
- Ukrainian forces advanced near Pokrovsk.
Reminder
According to British intelligence, Russia lost more than 48,000 military personnel in January 2025. February is expected to see a sustained high level of casualties due to the intensity of offensive operations.