Putin begins implementing long-term plans in occupied territories – ISW

Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced Russia's plans to integrate the occupied Ukrainian territories into the Russian Federation over the next six years.

Source: Institute for the Study of War (ISW)

Details: Putin stated that Russia plans for the occupied territories of Ukraine to be on par with Russia in unspecified "key areas" by 2030.

ISW believes this indicates that Russia is moving forward with long-term plans and does not foresee any territorial concessions.

In addition, Putin called on Russian banks not to be afraid of Western sanctions and to intensify their work in the occupied territories and noted that Russian federal subjects have established patronage networks with the occupied areas of Ukraine.

To quote the ISW’s Key Takeaways on 1 February:

• Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief General Valerii Zaluzhnyi presented an overarching strategy to seize the theatre-wide initiative in Ukraine and retain it to facilitate Ukrainian battlefield victories despite Russia’s numerical advantages in manpower and materiel. Zaluzhnyi’s strategy aims to offset Ukraine’s existing challenges and pursue advantages over the Russian military through widespread technological innovation and adaptation.
• Ukrainian forces successfully struck and sunk a Russian Black Sea Fleet (BSF) vessel in the Black Sea near occupied Crimea on the night of 31 January to 1 February.
• Russian milbloggers continued to voice frustrations about Russian forces’ continued tactical blunders during offensive operations in western Donetsk Oblast.
• The European Union (EU) unanimously approved a financial support package for Ukraine for 2024 ­­– 2027.
• EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Joseph Borrell stated that the European Union (EU) will not be able to send the promised one million shells to Ukraine by March 2024, but is planning to fulfil this promise by the end of 2024.
• Chechen Republic Head Ramzan Kadyrov appointed another one of his children to a senior position in the Chechen government as of 31 January.
• Russian forces recently made confirmed advances near Kupiansk, Avdiivka, and Donetsk City amid continued positional engagements along the entire line of contact on 1 February.
• Turkish banks have reportedly started closing Russian companies’ accounts due to the threat of US secondary sanctions.
• Russian President Vladimir Putin highlighted Russian plans to integrate occupied territories of Ukraine into Russia over the next six years.

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