Russian forces inch forward in key region of Dnipropetrovsk, admits Ukraine

Russian forces had claimed in July that they took control of their first village in Dnipropetrovsk.

Updated: August 27, 2025 09:13 AM IST

2 min read

A Ukrainian soldier gets ready to fire at Russian FPV drones in the town of Kostiantynivka, the site of heavy battles with Russian troops in the Donetsk region, Ukraine. (AP Photo)

Ukraine has acknowledged on Tuesday that Russian forces have entered the country’s southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region and are trying to establish a foothold in the area as talks to end the war and broker a ceasefire deal remain stalled.

According to Ukraine’s Viktor Trehubov of the Dnipro Operational-Strategic Group of Troops, “This is the first attack of such a large scale in Dnipropetrovsk region,” BBC reported, though he added that the advances by the Russian forces had been halted.

Viktor added that Russian forces are trying to establish a foothold in the region, while referring to Zaporizke and Novoheorhiivka and said that “Our forces are fighting to maintain their positions.”

Ukraine’s military has been partially unable to resist the Russian advances in most parts of the east as Moscow has been increasing pressure on Kyiv to surrender territory in any peace or ceasefire negotiations.

Russian forces had claimed in July that they took control of their first village in Dnipropetrovsk, however, the region is not among the five Ukrainian areas which Russia claims as its own territory, Reuters reported.

However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had dismissed the significance of Russian forces’ advancement in the Dnipropetrovsk region last month, and said that such claims by Moscow are aimed at achieving “media victory”.

A Russian advancement in Dnipropetrovsk region will be a setback for the Ukrainian administration as the US-led diplomatic efforts to bring the war, which started in February 2022, to an end seems unviable even after President Donald Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on August 16.

(with inputs from BBC, Reuters)

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