Russia announced that it is making advances into Ukraine’s eastern Dnipropetrovsk region for the first time during its three-year invasion, marking a significant territorial escalation amidst stalled peace negotiations.
Ukraine’s senior political and military leaders have not yet responded to the assertion of this advance, which would deal a symbolic and strategic blow following months of setbacks on the battlefield.
Holding the initiative across much of the front, Russia has consistently dismissed calls from Ukraine, Europe, and US President Donald Trump for an unconditional ceasefire, even while engaging in talks with Ukraine regarding a potential resolution to the conflict.
The Russian defense ministry indicated that forces from a tank unit had “reached the western border of the Donetsk People’s Republic and are continuing to conduct an offensive in the Dnipropetrovsk region.”
Ukraine reported that Russia threatened to escalate and broaden its offensive if Kyiv did not surrender.
Dnipropetrovsk is not among the five Ukrainian regions—Donetsk, Kherson, Lugansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Crimea—that Russia has publicly declared as part of its territory.
During peace negotiations in Istanbul on June 2, Moscow issued demands for Ukraine to formally recognize these regions as Russian territory, a condition Kyiv has firmly rejected.
In an earlier round of discussions last month, Ukraine alleged that Russia threatened to ramp up and expand its offensive unless Ukraine agreed to capitulate.
Thousands have lost their lives in Russia’s three-year conflict, forcing millions to flee their homes, with cities and villages across eastern Ukraine suffering from relentless airstrikes and ground combat.
Strategic setback
Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s former president and current deputy chairman of the national security council, remarked that the latest advance serves as a warning to Ukraine.
“Those who do not wish to acknowledge the realities of war in negotiations will face new realities on the ground,” he stated on social media.
Russia’s military shared images showing troops raising the Russian flag over the village of Zorya in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, near the internal border.
Ukrainian lieutenant colonel Oleksandr, 60, asserted that the entry of Russian forces into the region would not alter the battle’s dynamics.
“They are advancing slowly, very slowly, but they are making progress,” he told AFP in the town of Mezhova, approximately 12km from the boundary between Dnipropetrovsk and Donetsk regions.
One person was killed in an overnight bombing there.
Nonetheless, Oleksandr expressed his resolve.
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“They might claim that all of Ukraine belongs to them. Claims are one thing, but I don’t believe it will fundamentally change the situation. Our resistance will remain steadfast.”
Dnipropetrovsk had an estimated population of three million prior to the onset of the Russian offensive. About one million people resided in the regional capital, Dnipro.
The region is a crucial mining and industrial hub for Ukraine, and significant Russian advances could severely impact Ukraine’s struggling military and economy.
Ukrainian military personnel had previously informed AFP that Russia could gain ground relatively quickly in the largely flat area, where natural obstacles or villages for defensive positions are minimal.
The region, particularly the city of Dnipro, has endured ongoing Russian strikes since Moscow’s invasion began in February 2022.
In late 2024, Russia utilized Dnipro as a testing ground for its “experimental” Oreshnik missile, claiming to have targeted an aeronautics production facility.
POW swap ‘next week’
Ukraine also confirmed that a prisoner exchange— the only agreement reached during the Istanbul talks— would commence “next week” after both sides accused each other of attempting to hinder and delay the swap.
Russia claimed that Ukraine was unwilling to accept the return of deceased soldiers’ bodies, while Ukraine asserted that Russia had not provided the names of more than 1,000 captured soldiers for release.
Both parties had previously indicated that the exchange could potentially occur this weekend.
“The Russian side is, as usual, attempting to engage in a dirty political information game,” Mr. Zelensky stated during his evening address.
If Russia does not honor the agreement, it “will cast great doubt” on diplomatic efforts to conclude the three-year conflict, he added.
