On his own terms: Putin wants to end the war by the end of the year – Bloomberg
22 May 14:09
The lack of progress on the front lines, casualties, increasingly successful Ukrainian drone strikes, and the economic crisis—compounded by constant internet blackouts ordered by the security services—are forcing Russian leaders to take a more sober look at the war they are waging. The nervousness that has begun to manifest in society is shared by many members of the elite, with some high-ranking officials believing that the conflict has reached a dead end and no solution is in sight, writes Bloomberg, citing informed sources, as reported by "Komersant Ukrainian".
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, according to one of the sources, intends to continue the war but would like to end it by the end of the year—though, as before, on his own terms, including gaining full control over Donbas. Putin would also like to conclude a broader security agreement with Europe that would effectively cement Moscow’s territorial gains.
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Several European diplomats told Bloomberg that they view the atmosphere in Russian government circles as grim: a stalemate has developed on the battlefield, and Ukrainian drones are not only constantly disrupting the operations of oil refining and export facilities but have also brought the war to Moscow. On the night of May 17, nearly 600 drones carried out the largest raid on the Moscow region since the start of the war, striking energy facilities, a defense industry plant, and Sheremetyevo Airport.
Fearing drones, Putin has completely stopped traveling to the regions and appears in public only in Moscow, the Moscow region, and St. Petersburg, which are most heavily protected by air defense systems. The hiatus in his travels across the country amid Ukrainian Armed Forces strikes has grown to 196 days.
At the same time, the Kremlin leader has not curbed his ambitions and intends to capture Donbas, especially since the top military command has convinced him that this can be done by fall, the Financial Times reported.
However, the Russian army’s advance has not merely stalled. According to an assessment by the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, following the shutdown of Starlink satellite internet terminals for the Russian army in January, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have recaptured approximately 400 square kilometers.
Ukrainian units are increasingly organizing counterattacks in which drones, particularly ground-based ones, are used alongside infantry. So far, breakthroughs have not been achieved due to a significant shortage of personnel, but the army is no longer sitting in a static defensive position, as it did in 2025.
Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov told reporters this week that Ukraine has significantly “slowed the enemy’s advance and is gradually regaining the initiative.” He is preparing reforms aimed at recruiting more people into the army, although the call-up remains extremely unpopular in a country weary of a war now in its fifth year. The plan is to increase soldiers’ pay, primarily to replenish the infantry, and to find other ways to attract recruits, as well as to improve the efficiency of troop deployment and expand the use of drones, including ground-based ones, Bloomberg reports.
Even the most bellicose Russian military correspondents are no longer calling for mobilization, the necessity of which they had been discussing until recently, notes Ivan Filippov, who has been studying the “Z-community” since the start of the war. According to him, they understand that this will achieve nothing: the Ukrainian Armed Forces control the front lines so tightly with drones that a mass arrival of troops would only mean new mass casualties, not a breakthrough of the front.
The ubiquitous drones have rendered even the “infiltration” tactic ineffective, a method Russian soldiers have used since last year to make their way through Ukrainian defenses in groups of usually two, losing 80–90% of those who went on the offensive.
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