Ukraine acknowledges Russian forces entering Dnipropetrovsk amid stalled peace efforts

The Ukrainian authorities announced for the first time that Russian forces have entered the Dnipropetrovsk region located in the center of the country, which had until recently been spared from violent battles, in a field development that warns of an expansion of the conflict.

Victor Prigobov, spokesman for the "Dnipropetrovsk Operational Strategic Group" of the Ukrainian army, stated to the "France Press" agency today, Tuesday: "Yes, they have entered, and the fighting continues," referring to the ongoing clashes in the area.

Despite this acknowledgment, the Ukrainian army denied the validity of Moscow's statements regarding complete control over the villages of Zaporizhzhia and Novohryhorivka, affirming that battles are still ongoing.

The Russian army had announced last July the advance of its forces in Dnipropetrovsk without issuing an official statement of control, merely indicating the seizure of some towns.

For its part, the battle monitoring group "Deep State," close to the Ukrainian army, reported that Russia has "effectively occupied" those areas, indicating that Russian forces are "currently reinforcing their positions and mobilizing infantry for further advances."

Russian forces are engaged in costly battles to control devastated areas in eastern and southern Ukraine, which are often semi-abandoned, amid the absence of any political breakthrough towards a peace agreement.

It is noteworthy that the Dnipropetrovsk region is not included among the five regions that Moscow previously announced its annexation, which are: Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, Zaporizhia, and the Crimean Peninsula.

This field development comes at a time when international mediation efforts are clearly stalled, with no signs of nearing a political settlement to end the war that has been ongoing for more than three and a half years.