Key Points – Conflicting reports have emerged this week about the battlefield situation in eastern Ukraine, with Russia claiming its forces entered the Dnipropetrovsk region for the first time, a claim Ukraine initially dismissed as “disinformation.”
-Subsequent reporting by The New York Times and analysis from the Institute for the Study of War indicate that small Russian squads have indeed gained a “tiny foothold” in the region.
-However, military experts assess the move as more symbolic than strategic, likely aimed at widening the flanks for Russia’s main operations near Pokrovsk rather than a full-scale seizure of the industrial oblast.
-Meanwhile, President Zelenskyy reported that Ukrainian forces are “gradually pushing back” Russian occupiers in the Sumy region.
Ukraine War Update
Earlier this week, Russia claimed that its troops had crossed into the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, a region of Eastern Ukraine. Kyiv, however, disputed the report, dismissing it as “Russian disinformation.”
“As of the morning of June 9, all Russian information, including Peskov’s statements, about an offensive in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast does not correspond to reality,” Andrii Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation, said this week, as reported earlier this week by the Kyiv Independent.
It is often the case, in this war, that Russia and Ukraine disagree even on where the war is being fought.
The New York Times, on Friday, tried to get to the bottom of what’s happening in Dnipropetrovsk.
A New Theater
The Times reported that “Russian forces have entered the Dnipropetrovsk region of eastern Ukraine for the first time in three years of war.” The move, the Times said, shows Russia’s willingness to “keep expanding the fight as cease-fire talks show little signs of progress.”
It is, however, “small squads” of Russian soldiers who have crossed into Dnipropetrovsk, the Times reported, citing Ukrainian soldiers fighting in the area. The Institute for the Study of War, in its map of the state of the war, shows that the Russians have gained “a tiny foothold in the area.”
That said, per the Times, Russia is unlikely to attempt a full-on seizure of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, and the move into that region is more symbolic than strategic.
Subunits
A CNN report about the advance stated that it was “subunits from the Russian military’s 90th tank division” who entered Dnipropetrovsk from the Donetsk region.
Other experts agree with that assessment.
Emil Kastehelmi of the Black Bird Group told the Kyiv Independent earlier this week that it’s not expected that either side of the war will throw major resources into the region, or for the arrival of Russians in the region to make any big difference in the dynamics of the war.
“The Russians probably have understood that if they want to make a proper encirclement threat, they need to widen the flanks and then continue operations near Pokrovsk,” Kastehelmi told the Ukrainian newspaper.
“Even if militarily not as significant, the Russian movces into Dnipropetrovsk Oblast would mean yet another Ukrainian region would be now a warzone,” the Independent said. “It could also help strengthen the Russian negotiation position as the U.S. continues to push both sides to hold peace talks to end the war at all costs.”
Where the Ukraine War Stands
Per CNN, “Russia now controls just under one-fifth of Ukrainian territory, according to the Ukrainian analysis group Deep State. That includes Crimea and parts of eastern Ukraine that were occupied before Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.”
The two sides engaged in a pair of rounds of peace talks in Istanbul in recent weeks, although neither resulted in any movement towards a ceasefire or peace, aside from some agreements on prisoner exchanges and the return of war dead, although one of those prisoner exchanges did not take place as planned. Also in recent weeks, Ukraine has launched a major drone attack across Russia, while Russia has since retaliated.
“Gradually Pushing Back”
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this week in his nightly video address that Ukraine is making progress in at least one region.
“Our units in Sumy region are gradually pushing back the occupiers,” Zelensky said in the address. “I thank you! Thanks to every soldier, sergeant and officer for this result.”
Zelenskyy also discussed the upcoming EU and G7 meetings.
“We are preparing for upcoming international meetings in the next few weeks. It is essential that our partners understand: sanctions against Russia truly work when they stay ahead of the Russian authorities’ attempts to adapt. Sanctions on oil, on Russian banks, and the entire financial sector,” Zelenskyy said in a video posted to X.
“There must be a clear limit to Russia’s ability to adapt – pressure they cannot withstand. That will mark the turning point in the war, beyond which a reliable peace is possible.”
About the Author
Stephen Silver is an award-winning journalist, essayist and film critic, and contributor to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Broad Street Review and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. For over a decade, Stephen has authored thousands of articles that focus on politics, technology, and the economy. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @StephenSilver, and subscribe to his Substack newsletter.
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