Russia denies Ukraine's sovereignty and emphasizes the need for further annexation - ISW
Kyiv • UNN
Putin's godfather Medvedchuk has released a map showing most of Ukraine's territory as “historical Russia.” ISW believes this reflects the Kremlin's strategy of denying Ukraine's sovereignty.
Russia has consistently denied Ukraine's sovereignty and justified its aggression with propaganda about so-called “historical lands.” Viktor Medvedchuk, the godfather of Russian President Vladimir Putin and former head of the banned OPZZh party, has directly called for the annexation of Ukraine. This is reported by UNN with reference to an analytical report by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
Details
Using Viktor Medvedchuk's article as an example, analysts concluded that the Kremlin is against negotiations with Ukraine and the West.
Medvedchuk published an accompanying map depicting all Ukrainian territory east of Lviv, Ternopil, and Chernivtsi regions as part of “historical Russia.” Medvedchuk claimed that Western support for Ukraine is aimed solely at destroying Russia from within and called Ukrainians “modern barbarians” who must be saved by Russia through integration into the Russian state
According to ISW, Medvedchuk also insists that modern Ukraine has no historical legitimacy and that its independence is a “mistake of history.
The Institute for War Studies emphasizes that Medvedchuk's statements reflect the Kremlin's strategic policy of denying Ukraine's sovereignty.
Medvedchuk's rhetoric as a representative of the Russian elite, closely linked to Putin, demonstrates the Kremlin's systemic unwillingness to negotiate with Ukraine and the West and its fundamental refusal to recognize the legitimacy of the Ukrainian state and government
ISW's key findings for February 5:
- President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy continues to demonstrate his readiness to negotiate with Russia from a principled position that preserves Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity in the long term.
- Zelenskyy confirmed that the Constitution of Ukraine prohibits holding elections in wartime, but Ukraine remains committed to holding elections in accordance with the Constitution and laws of Ukraine after the war.
- President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on February 4 that since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russian troops have lost between 300,000 and 350,000 killed and 600,000 to 700,000 wounded in the fighting.
- On the night of February 4-5, Ukrainian troops struck an oil depot in Krasnodar Krai as part of an ongoing campaign to target Russian defense industries and oil refineries.
- The Russian military continues its efforts to restructure military administrative control over the military services in peacetime and apparently separates administrative control over the Russian Air Force and Navy from the military districts.
- The Kremlin continues to prioritize domestic political stability over efforts to ease economic pressures and labor shortages.
- Ukraine and Russia conducted an exchange of prisoners of war on February 5.
- Russian troops advanced near Kupyansk, Toretsk, Pokrovsk and Kurakhove.
- Ukrainian troops advanced near Pokrovsk.
Recall
According to British intelligence, Russia lost more than 48 thousand military personnel in January 2025. In February, a high level of losses is expected to continue due to the intensity of offensive operations.
