Shoigu says occupation of the Donetsk Oblast continues "according to plan"

IRYNA BALACHUK — TUESDAY, 2 AUGUST 2022, 13:48

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said that the Russian occupation of the Donetsk Oblast is continuing according to plan.

Source: [Russian Kremlin-aligned news outlet] RIA Novosti, concerning Shoigu's statement during a conference call on 2 August

Quote from Shoigu: "After taking control of the territory of the ‘Luhansk People's Republic’, the ‘Donetsk People's Republic’ will be released as planned."

Details: According to the Russian Defence Minister, the invaders recently captured 6 settlements: Hryhorivka, Berestove, Striapivka, Pokrovske, Semyhiria and Novoluhanske.

He also added that the Russians have occupied Europe's largest Vuhlehirska Power Station, with an installed capacity of 3,600 megawatts.

Why it matters: Russian President Vladimir Putin, who was planning to seize Kyiv and all of Ukraine in 2 days, later tried to present the occupation of Luhansk and Donetsk Oblasts to his electorate as a victory in the war. But the soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine continue to hold the defence and are not allowing the invaders to advance.

Background:

On 3 July, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu reported to the president of the aggressor country, Putin, that the entire Luhansk Oblast had been occupied.

On 20 July, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Sergey Lavrov, stated that the "geographical objectives" of the war had changed due to the supply of Western weapons to Ukraine, and he threatened to seize new territories in the event that long-range weapons were supplied to Ukraine.

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