Will Russia capture Vodianske by...?
December 31
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Understand this market
This market asks whether Russian forces will physically take control of a specific road intersection inside the village of Vodianske, in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine. A Yes means Russian troops have seized that exact spot on the map. A No means Ukraine still holds it, or Russia never reaches it, by the deadline. There are two deadlines with separate odds: September 30, 2025 (28%) and December 31, 2026 (41%), reflecting how much harder the earlier date is to hit.
The market settles Yes if a respected conflict-tracking organization called ISW shades that specific intersection red on their public Ukraine control map, and that shading holds through at least one full daily update cycle. The shading must mean confirmed Russian control or advance, not just suspected infiltration. If a peace deal gives Russia actual physical control of the area, that also counts as Yes, but only once boots are on the ground, not just when a deal is announced. If neither condition is met by the deadline, it resolves No.
None of the provided news items are directly relevant to the situation in Vodianske or Russian ground movements in Donetsk. One headline touches on Starlink access for Ukrainian forces, which is a factor in the broader war, but nothing in the news given speaks specifically to this village or intersection. To track this market, the thing to watch is ISW's daily Ukraine map updates and any reports of fighting near Vodianske in Donetsk Oblast.
Ground control in small Ukrainian villages is genuinely hard to predict. Front lines in Donetsk shift slowly and unevenly, and a single intersection can change hands multiple times. The market prices the December 2026 deadline at 41% and the September 2025 deadline at 28%, suggesting real but not dominant odds for Russian capture. Key unknowns include the pace of Russian advances in this sector, Ukrainian defensive capacity, and whether any ceasefire or negotiation freezes the front. The long time horizon adds uncertainty in both directions.
Order Book
December 31
Resolution Criteria
This market will resolve to “Yes” if, according to the ISW map, Russia captures the intersection at 48.410003° N, 37.102845° E in Vodianske, Donetsk Oblast, by the specified date 11:59 PM ET. The intersection will be considered captured if any part of the intersection is shaded red on the ISW map (https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/36a7f6a6f5a9448496de641cf64bd375) by the resolution date. If the area is not shaded red by the specified date, the market will resolve to “No”. For any change on the ISW map to qualify for this market’s resolution, the relevant shading indicating Russian control must persist through the next full ISW daily update cycle. If ISW skips a day, shading must persist until the next finalized ISW update is published, regardless of the date. Any continuous shading which reflects either “Assessed Russian Control”, “Assessed Russian Advance In Ukraine”, or “Assessed Russian Gains in the Past 24 Hours” will qualify. “Assessed Russian Infiltration Areas in Ukraine” will not qualify. If Russia comes into control of this territory as a result of a negotiated settlement, this will qualify for a 'Yes' resolution, regardless of whether it is shaded red in the ISW map. An announcement of a negotiated settlement that gives Russia de jure control will not qualify. Actual control must be established. Once Russia captures the intersection, any subsequent loss of control will not be considered towards the resolution of this market. Intersection Location: https://polymarket-upload.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/Vodianske1.png Intersection Location in Vodianske: https://polymarket-upload.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/Vodianske2.png Vodianske Location: https://polymarket-upload.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/Vodianske3.png Location on Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/UfqGdzp9QdZ8LtAh8 The primary resolution source for this market will be the ISW Ukraine map. If the ISW map is rendered unavailable, information from DeepStateMap (https://deepstatemap.live/) may be used. If information from both the ISW and DeepStateMap are rendered permanently unavailable, a consensus of credible reporting may be used. Note: Any temporary glitches or errors in the map will not be considered.
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December 31
41%