Russia advances near Dnipropetrovsk amid rising war tensions

Even as peace talk is underway, the military war between the two sides is intensifying. Russian forces are advancing onto new territory as Ukraine steps up attacks against critical Russian assets, such as bomber fleets and railway lines.

Russia, which now occupies just below 20 percent of Ukrainian territory, has seized at least 190 square kilometers in the Sumy region in recent weeks, according to open-source mapping used by pro-Ukrainian analysts.

The Russian defense ministry said that the 90th tank division of Russia’s Central Grouping has now moved to the western outskirts of Donetsk and set its sights on the neighboring Dnipropetrovsk region. Ukrainian forces confirmed the assault, saying that Russian soldiers were attempting to penetrate the region but that Ukrainian units were putting up an active defence on the front line.

Ukraine Rejects Charges of Dragging Feet on Fallen Soldiers
Image Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s deputy chairman of the Security Council, said the assault shows how Russia will press farther if Ukraine does not agree to the terms of the territorial control that it now has during peace talks.

Maps from pro-Ukrainian sources note Russian forces approaching Dnipropetrovsk, a prewar city of more than 3 million. They are also converging on Kostyantynivka, a major logistics hub in Donetsk, from multiple directions.

Russian troops are trying to gain a foothold in order to launch a major offensive against the city, Ukrainian military spokesman Dmytro Zaporozhets said.

Russia has in turn accused Ukraine of delaying both prisoner exchanges and the return of some 12,000 dead soldiers’ bodies. Moscow said it had already transported the corpses to the border in refrigerated vehicles near the town of Bryansk. Ukraine has denied the accusations, saying Russia is using the case to exert pressure on Ukraine.

Assaults Go On as Peace Discussions Stall
President Vladimir Putin said that Ukraine wasn’t acting in earnest to bring an end to the fighting and cited a deadly blast in Bryansk that killed seven and injured 115, right before negotiations were to take place. Ukraine was not immediately available to comment on this particular incident, but insists Russia is not genuinely interested in peace because it is refusing to adhere to a truce.

Russia has insisted on international acceptance of the legitimacy of its control of Crimea, annexed in 2014, as well as four other Ukrainian regions. As part of any agreement, Ukraine would need to withdraw its forces from all these areas, a condition that Kyiv has rejected.

As of June 7, Russia holds 113,273 square kilometers or 18.8% of Ukraine – an area bigger than the U.S. state of Virginia. This covers the entire Crimean peninsula, more than 99% of Luhansk and more than 70% of Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts. Smaller parts of Kharkiv and Sumy are the other regions of Russia-controlled territory.

Putin reportedly told Donald Trump that Russia retaliated against recent Ukrainian drone and and railway attacks. With Russia not having yet launched a significant countermeasure, such a broad-based response has been anticipated by United States officials.

Russian assaults on Kharkiv by drones, missiles and guided bombs continued on the ground into Friday night, leaving at least four people dead and more than 60 wounded, including an infant. Russia also claimed to have shot down 61 Ukrainian drones on Sunday in the skies near Moscow, causing temporary shutdowns at two of the capital’s main airports.