"Yes, they have entered Dnipropetrovsk region. Fighting continues," Viktor Tregubov, spokesman for the Dnipro operational-tactical group, said on 26/8 after being asked about reports of Russian forces advancing into the central Ukrainian region.
This is the first time Ukraine has acknowledged the presence of Russian forces in Dnipropetrovsk, after months of denying similar claims by Moscow. The Russian Ministry of Defense announced their forces entered Dnipropetrovsk on 8/6 and seized the first settlement in the region 24 days later.
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Russian soldiers at a training ground near the front line on 20/8. Photo: Russian Ministry of Defense |
Russian soldiers at a training ground near the front line on 20/8. Photo: Russian Ministry of Defense
The two settlements in Dnipropetrovsk that Russia recently claimed to control are Novogeorgievka and Zaporozhskoe. The Ukrainian General Staff denied Russia's claims regarding these villages.
However, the war monitor Deep State, which has ties to the Ukrainian military, confirmed on 26/8 that Russia had taken the two settlements and was consolidating its positions and gathering forces for further advances.
Dnipropetrovsk is a key region located in central Ukraine, bordering the Kharkiv, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions. It is also an important mining and industrial center for Ukraine. An estimated 3 million people lived in the region before the conflict, with 1 million concentrated in the regional capital, Dnipro.
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Location of Dnipropetrovsk region. Graphic: RYV |
Location of Dnipropetrovsk region. Graphic: RYV
Ukrainian soldiers are concerned that Russian forces could advance relatively quickly in Dnipropetrovsk due to the largely flat terrain, with few natural obstacles or villages for Ukrainian forces to use as defensive positions.
Dnipropetrovsk is not among the regions Russia has claimed to annex. However, Moscow opening a new front in Dnipropetrovsk will force Kyiv to transfer additional reserves there, creating further difficulties for the Ukrainian military, which is already stretched thin and facing shortages across multiple fronts.
Nguyen Tien (AFP, AP, Reuters)
