Russian map behind top general hints at ambitions to seize Ukraine's Odesa, Kharkiv
Footage released by Russia's Defense Ministry on Aug. 30 showed a map behind Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov suggesting Moscow's potential ambitions to seize Odesa and Kharkiv oblasts.
The map appeared as Gerasimov gave a speech on Russia's spring-summer campaign, saying Moscow would continue both front-line fighting and mass strikes on Ukrainian cities despite peace talks.
While Moscow has publicly insisted on full control of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, the map indicated possible plans extending to Odesa and Kharkiv, neither of which had been included in earlier demands.
Russia occupies only about 4% of Kharkiv Oblast, while Odesa Oblast remains fully under Ukrainian control.
Capturing both would give Russia control of Ukraine's Black Sea coast, major transport hubs, and industrial centers — long-standing strategic goals for Moscow.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has earlier demanded that Ukraine abandon NATO membership aspirations and surrender several major cities as preconditions for peace. The Kremlin reiterated these terms during the under-an-hour Istanbul talks in July.
The discussion of territorial concessions emerged after U.S. President Donald Trump floated the idea of "land swaps" in conversations with European leaders and President Volodymyr Zelensky.
A source in the Ukrainian Presidential Office earlier told the Kyiv Independent that Moscow's proposal would involve Kyiv withdrawing from Ukrainian-controlled areas of Donetsk and Luhansk in return for a partial Russian pullback from Sumy and Kharkiv.
Zelensky rejected such proposals on Aug. 9, saying Ukraine would not cede territory to end the war.
Since returning to the office in January, Trump has promised to swiftly mediate peace but has faced repeated setbacks as Russia refused a ceasefire and pressed for expanded concessions.
Despite possible ambitions, Russia would likely need significant time to capture Odesa and Kharkiv.
Since November 2022, Russian forces have occupied just 5,842 square kilometers (2,256 square miles) of Ukrainian land, about 0.97% of the country's territory.
