Why Russia is grabbing land in Ukraine as peace talks intensify

Why Russia is grabbing land in Ukraine as peace talks intensify

Russia's advances in Ukraine may look small on a map, but are powerfully symbolic as the war enters its fourth year and the negotiations for peace heat up. Russian troops have been pushing forward in small units over the past month along the 750-mile frontline, using infantry techniques designed to evade the snooping eyes of spy drones. The groups infiltrate Ukrainian lines, reorganize, and then attack in waves, taking ground measured in hundreds of yards, the New York Times reported.

Focus on Pokrovsk and Donetsk

The Donbas region within eastern Donetsk remains Moscow's main focus, particularly in the vicinity of the city of Pokrovsk, now the face of Ukraine's exposed defences. Russian troops last month outmanoeuvred several Ukrainian positions with the combined strength of drones and infantry, stoking worries that a general breakthrough is possible. For the Kremlin, control of Donetsk territory is symbolic and strategic, since it has long claimed the territory since 2014 annexation of Crimea and supported separatists.

Ukraine gains back lost ground

Despite these Russian advances, Ukrainian officials say their forces have successfully pushed Moscow's troops back from their recent gains. By pouring reinforcements into zones at risk, Ukraine has managed to stabilize most parts of the front line. The Ukrainian military says that conditions near Pokrovsk remain volatile, but the expected collapse of defences has not been seen. Ukraine's commander-in-chief, Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, reported that Russian forces were intensifying efforts in northern Donetsk even as efforts near Pokrovsk struggled under pressure.

A diplomatic pressure-tailored strategy

President Vladimir V. Putin's push to capture territory isn't just a battle for momentum on the battlefield—it is also a race to establish the terms of the negotiating table. As President Trump is pressuring Kyiv and Moscow to negotiate a settlement, Russia's strategy appears to be the capture of as much territory as possible prior to a cease-fire or peace negotiation. For Moscow, hanging on to slender strips of terrain strengthens its negotiating hand so that it negotiates from a position of mastery rather than concession.

War of drones and infantry

The war also brings into view the manner in which warfare has evolved. Ukraine's mass deployment of reconnaissance and attack drones has made mass armoured thrusts costly and risky for Russia. The response from Moscow came in the form of the adoption of little-publicized infantry groups that can slip beyond Ukrainian radar. These groups hide behind stealth and mobility, making night or cover-of-night advances to evade drones. It is slower combat, but one that allows Russia to apply pressure without placing its soldiers in the crosshairs of debilitating drone strikes.

Life under siege for civilians

As soldiers fight over ground measured in yards, civilians bear the highest toll. The region north of Pokrovsk is strewn with bombings, shelling, and drone strikes that routinely destroy houses, schools, and infrastructure. Images. of the devastation show flattened buildings, wire-mesh-shrouded armoured cars to protect against drones, and citizens brushing dust off doorsteps following bombardments. For many Ukrainians, life remains marked by surprise explosions and the long, arduous work of reconstruction.

What comes next

The battle for Donetsk also highlights both the intensity of Ukrainian resistance and the determination of Russia to establish a bargaining position before negotiations can continue. To Kyiv, holding the line matters not just to prevent further loss of territory but to demonstrate to international backers that Western arms are being used to effective purpose. To Moscow, even limited advances can be sold domestically as proof of the success of what it terms its "special military operation."

Stakes for talks

As peace talks go on under international pressure, developments on the battlefield are most likely to determine the shape of any eventual agreement. If Russia manages to stabilize recent advances, it may demand that these gains be recognized as part of an accord. If Ukraine continues to drive Russian forces back, it may be able to strengthen its case for borders near their pre-2022 configuration. Either way, the fighting near Pokrovsk illustrates how the politics of peace cannot be separated from the grim realities of the battlefield.

The war in Ukraine has come to the point where every yard of earth means disproportionate value. Russia's gradual gains and Ukraine's fierce counterattacks set the table for the negotiations that will decide the country's destiny. With President Trump insisting on a deal and Putin seeking to exert maximum pressure, the fighting on the battlefield is even cruel and unforgiving, a reminder that war and diplomacy are moving in tandem.