Ukraine’s military has dismissed Russian claims that its forces have entered the Dnipropetrovsk region, calling the reports “disinformation” amid an increasingly tense battlefield and ongoing diplomatic efforts for a potential ceasefire.
Russia’s Ministry of Defense announced on Sunday that units of its 90th Tank Regiment had crossed the administrative border from Donetsk into neighboring Dnipropetrovsk, a move it framed as a significant step forward in its prolonged offensive against Ukraine. If confirmed, this would mark the first reported Russian ground presence in the strategic region.
Ukraine’s southern defense forces quickly countered the claim, stating that their troops remain in control of the front lines and that the fighting remains contained within Donetsk. The military acknowledged that the situation on the ground is “tense” but rejected suggestions that Russian forces had advanced into the neighboring province.
The Dnipropetrovsk region holds significant strategic value. Home to major steel, coal, and machinery industries, it is also a key logistics hub for Ukraine’s military operations. Its regional capital, Dnipro—Ukraine’s fourth-largest city—remains well-defended, located more than 140 kilometers from the current front lines and protected by the Dnipro River and its estuaries.
While any Russian move into Dnipropetrovsk would carry symbolic weight, analysts note that Kremlin forces are still a considerable distance from being able to pose a direct threat to Dnipro.
The reported advance comes as Russian forces have recently made incremental gains in Ukraine’s far northeast, particularly near Sumy. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said that Moscow’s renewed focus on the Sumy region was anticipated, and that Ukrainian troops are actively working to repel Russian advances. The regional governor of Sumy confirmed there is currently no need for an emergency evacuation of local residents.
The broader military developments unfold against a challenging diplomatic backdrop. Efforts to broker a US-mediated ceasefire have so far stalled, with Russian President Vladimir Putin maintaining maximalist demands for Ukraine to cede full control of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson—territories Russia illegally annexed in 2022 but does not fully control—along with Crimea, which was annexed in 2014.
Meanwhile, both sides are moving ahead with a major prisoner exchange agreement reached last week during talks in Turkey. Ukraine’s coordination headquarters for prisoners of war reported Sunday that preparations for the swap are proceeding as planned, with thousands of Ukrainian soldiers’ remains also set to be repatriated. Russia, however, accused Ukraine of causing delays in finalizing the arrangements.
While the immediate front lines remain fluid, and both sides continue trading accusations, the humanitarian breakthrough represented by the prisoner exchange offers a rare point of progress amid an otherwise deadlocked conflict.