Part 6/15:
Russia’s territorial ambitions have been mixed in success. The Kremlin initially claimed non-territorial strategic goals, but the reality is different. Russia managed to capture the city of Kherson briefly but lost it later, and while they control significant parts of Donbas, key cities like Kharkiv and Odesa remain under Ukrainian control. The land bridge connecting Crimea to mainland Russia is a notable strategic achievement, but Ukraine retains access to the Black Sea, preserving important trade routes.
In summary, Russia’s core ambitions—militarily weakening Ukraine and achieving territorial gains—have been only partially successful, with many goals remaining unachieved after nearly four years of conflict.