Russia has claimed that its military forces have advanced into Ukraine’s eastern Dnipropetrovsk region for the first time since the war began in 2022.
On June 8, Moscow announced that its troops had entered the region, amid a dispute between Russia and Ukraine over the return of thousands of fallen soldiers’ bodies.
The Kremlin has defiantly rejected calls from U.S. President Donald Trump, Ukraine, and the European Union for a full and unconditional ceasefire.
During peace talks with Kyiv held in Istanbul last week, Moscow reiterated its long-standing demands, including: the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from the front line, an end to Western military support for Ukraine, and Kyiv abandoning its ambition to join NATO.
Russia, which already controls around 20 percent of Ukrainian territory, has reportedly seized over 190 square kilometers of the Sumy region in eastern Ukraine in the past month alone, according to pro-Ukrainian monitors.
Dnipropetrovsk is a key industrial and mining center for Ukraine.
Military analysts are concerned that Russia’s advances deep into the region could pose serious challenges for both Ukraine’s economy and its military.
Notably, Dnipropetrovsk is not among the five Ukrainian regions that Russia officially claims as part of its territory.
Ukrainian officials have not commented on Russia’s claim, and there has been no confirmation from independent sources.
Russia has intensified its attacks deeper inside Ukraine. At least 14 civilians were killed and 68 others injured in Kharkiv, Kherson, and Donetsk due to Russian attacks on June 7 and 8, according to the National Police.
Meanwhile, a Ukrainian drone strike caused a fire at a chemical plant in Russia’s Tula region, about 180 kilometers from Moscow, according to regional governor Dmitry Milyaev.
On June 8, Russian authorities said Moscow’s two international airports, Vnukovo and Domodedovo, temporarily suspended flights due to a Ukrainian drone attack.
