Clément Molin Profile picture
Aug 18 18 tweets 7 min read Read on X
This is why giving away Donbass cannot be an option for Ukraine 🇺🇦

Donald Trump 🇺🇸 will ask Zelensky to give away Donbass in exchange for a ceasefire with Russia 🇷🇺.

It would mean giving 9 cities and the main fortifications to Russia without a fight.

🧵THREAD🧵1/18⬇️Image
Giving away Donbass may seem to be the solution to calm Putin and reach a ceasefire, or even the peace between Ukraine and Russia.

However this cannot be accepted by any government of Ukraine for few simple reasons. Image
Here, we are mainly talking about the non-occupied part of Donetsk oblast, since the northern part of Luhansk oblast is mainly rural and has been occupied without big fights in spring 2022.

This is what Russia took in 30 month (after the last ukrainian counter-offensive). Image
As @M0nstas states, this is 5100 km² in 30 months, it means there is still 6500km2 to be taken.

Also in the 5100km2, we count those cities :

-Bakhmut (biggest russian gain in 3 years) 80k pop
-Avdiivka 35k pop
-Torestk 35k pop
-Selydove 24k pop
-Kourakhove 20k pop
- - than 15k Image
So in 3 years of fight, with the main battles being waged in Donetsk oblast, Russia only took one "big" city (80k inhabitants) and smaller towns, all located in the periphery of Donetsk.

They still have to fight for the big cities of ukrainian controled Donbass.
In the 6500km2 to be taken we count :

-Kramatorsk 160k pop
-Sloviansk 120k pop
-Kostiantynivka 75k pop
-Pokrovsk 65k pop
-Droujkivka 60k pop
-Myrnohrad 50k pop
-Dobropilla 30k pop
-Lyman 22k pop
-Siversk 12k pop

In the lone Sloviansk-Kostiantynivka valley, 415k pop... Image
Who would be crazy enough to give away without a fight a total worth of more than 600k pop cities, while Russia only took ~250k pop cities in 3 years of war ?

This, without forgetting the area has industrial and mining potential, even if partly destroyed by 11 years of war. Image
With that stated, there is also the price for Russia. Russia is pushing constanlty in the region. Mainly with infantry, since Ukraine built large anti-vehicle oblastacles and is massively using drones.

This has an enormous human price for Russia. Image
Image
Image
That is the reason why Putin is not willing to fight for Pokrovsk, for Kramatorsk or Sloviansk.

He would lose too much men, the operation will take far more time and his economy will continue to suffer.

He is seeking an easy victory with D. Trump. Image
Also, Ukraine built massive fortifications in Donetsk oblast. This region is easily defendable. There are massive cities, industrial complexes, mines and undergrounds.

Everytime there is a field or a treeline, ukrainian fortifications are standing. Image
In this particular region, a big part of Ukraine's "New Donbass Line" is standing.

It goes from the southern part of the non-occupied part of the oblast to Izium, Kharkiv and now even Sumy ! Image
Here is a map of what would happen with this region in the hands of Russia.

No more big fortifications, an open terrain for further offensive actions in central Ukraine, to push to Dnipro, Poltava, Zaporizhia or Kharkiv oblasts. Image
If the region is handed over to Putin without a fight, it would place russian forces 10km to Izium, 26km to Lozova and 55km to Pavlohrad.

Those are the only cities west of Donbass, before Dnipro (120km) and Poltava (175km). Image
Ukrainian soldiers are not willing to give away Donbass, their region, the region they have been fighting for during 11 years, the one where they lost comrades.

Putin will not give anything in return, no Kherson, no Zaporizhia, no Kharkiv. So they have no interest in it.
But if Ukraine is not willing to leave Donbass to Russia without fighting, what will happen ?

Peace will probably not be found, Russia will continue to push and slowly taking the region, or maybe they will be forced to stop.
Russia's economy has been largely left untouched.

If tomorrow, ukrainian drones and missiles are destroying russian economy (factories, mines, oil and gas facilities, ports...), Putin may be forced to stop. Image
With Trump and the USA disengaging, it is now the role of Europe to continue to support Ukraine, as long as it is willing to fight.

France, Germany, the UK, Poland, Italy, the Baltics and Nordics countries must also become the real rear base of Ukraine. Image
Thank you for reading this thread.

Do not hesistate to share, like and follow my account for more in depth analysis.

I've also updated my biography with a longer version in french, you can translate it easily to know more about me.

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More from @clement_molin

Nov 19
L'armée russe 🇷🇺 a pris le contrôle de la ville de Pokrovsk, les combats se poursuivent dans la ville voisine de Myrnohrad.

Dans le même temps, les bastions urbains de Siversk et Houlialpole qui tiennent depuis 3 ans sont désormais menacés.

🧵THREAD🧵1/15 ⬇️Image
C'est la plus grande ville prise depuis Bakhmout en mai 2023 (80 000 habitants), la chute de Pokrovsk (65 000 habitants) est désormais quasi-confirmée par les nombreuses vidéos géolocalisées.

C'est une victoire symbolique, mais également stratégique pour l'armée russe. Image
Après une très longue campagne dans le sud de l'oblast de Donetsk, qui a commencé par le dégagement de la banlieue de Donetsk en 2023-2024 (Avdiivka, Krasnohorivka, Marinka...), l'armée russe a poursuivit sa progression à l'ouest, encerclant progressivement Pokrovsk. Image
Read 16 tweets
Nov 18
Second day of a large offensive launched by the SAF 🟢around El Obeid in central Sudan 🇸🇩

After the failure of yesterday's attacks, the army pushed back the RSF 🟡 during massive pick-up fightings today.

A thread to know what is happening in Kordofan ?

🧵THREAD🧵1/14⬇️Image
Once more, the videos are crazy, hundreds of Sudan Army pick-up pushing through the Sahel, north-west of El Obeid.

With the summer season and the failure to push during April-August attempts forced a new strategy.
The SAF lost control of Al Fashir, Darfur capital city last month. The main fightings are now concentrated in the Kordofan region of central Sudan.

The RSF are pulling massive reserves from Al Fashir, with a lot of new supplies given by the UAE, going through Libya.
Read 14 tweets
Nov 16
Un camp de formation des FSR dans l'est de l'Ethiopie 🇪🇹

Pendant que l'armée soudanaise 🇸🇩 forme et entraine les rebelles tigréens du TPLF opposés à Addis Abeba, l'Ethiopie va ouvrir un camp de formation des FSR financé par les Emirats.

🧵THREAD🧵1/10 ⬇️ Image
Pour bien expliquer :

L'armée soudanaise soutien les rebelles tigréens contre le pouvoir central, elle héberge même l'armée 70 du Tigré (plusieurs milliers d'hommes qui combattent avec l'armée soudanaise).

L'Armée 70 s'entraine et recrute dans l'est du Soudan.
Pour le moment, il n'y a pas de combats entre l'Etat central éthiopiens et le Tigré, même si une frappe de drone a eu lieu, la première depuis les accords de Pretoria contre des soldats tigréens qui avaient avancé dans la région voisine d'Afar.
Read 10 tweets
Nov 15
The operational situation for the ukrainian 🇺🇦 army is getting increasingy more difficult

After losing most of Pokrovsk, Ukraine is facing an accelerated advance towards Zaporizhzhia in the south.

Russia 🇷🇺 is pushing everywhere at a faster pace.

🧵THREAD🧵1/16 ⬇️Image
Weeks from today, I was posting this showing that Russia was pushing to Zaporizhia and that the city may be threathened next year.

I wasn't wrong, Russia not only continued to push but made it faster, threatening Hulialpole, one of the main stronghold. Image
After crossing the Uspenivka-Poltavka line in only few days, the russian army is getting in sight of the Pokrovsk'e-Ternuvate-Hulialpole line.

They already reached the main road and may go around Hulialpole, an old stronghold of the southern front. Image
Read 16 tweets
Nov 10
Le Mali 🇲🇱 va-t-il s'effondrer face à l'offensive du JNIM ?

Le blocus de la capitale Bamako, ne fait que s'intensifier depuis plusieurs semaines.

La poussée vers le sud des djihadistes fait craindre un effondrement, même s'ils ne contrôlent aucune ville.

🧵THREAD🧵1/17 ⬇️ Image
Il y a 2 mois, l'une des meilleures source cartographique sur le Mali (@criticalthreats) a publié cette carte du blocus de Bamako et des principales villes du pays par le JNIM (groupe de soutien à l'Islam et aux musulmans, liés à Al Qaïda). Image
Depuis ma dernière actualisation cartographique à la fin de l'été, le JNIM a progressé, principalement vers le centre et le sud du pays.

Celui-ci opère désormais dans la majorité du pays, même s'il ne met pas en place de contrôle direct du territoire. Image
Read 17 tweets
Nov 8
L'armée russe 🇷🇺 a conquis la majeure partie de Pokrovsk, plus grande ville prise depuis mai 2023.

Les infiltrations russes au sud du chemin de fer ont été consolidées, l'armée russe pousse désormais vers la périphérie nord. Myrnohrad est quasi encerclée.

🧵THREAD🧵1/15 ⬇️ Image
En septembre 2024, l'armée russe arrivait pour la première fois aux portes est de la ville après la prise de Novohrodivka.

Il aura fallu un an et deux mois pour contourner les défenses de Pokrovsk par le sud puis le nord-est avant de prendre la ville. (carte de @Deepstate_UA) Image
Il est indéniable que la bataille pour la ville aura été centrale dans la stratégie défensive ukrainienne.

La progression de 40km à l'ouest d'Avdiivka a été stoppée aux portes de la ville. Il aura fallu un long contournement et beaucoup de temps pour parvenir à isoler la ville. Image
Read 15 tweets

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