Russian forces have taken control of the first village in east-central Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region, Reuters reports, citing Russian state media and military bloggers, News.bg reports.
This is the village of Dachnoye, which, according to pro-Russian official Vladimir Rogov, is now under Russian control. This marks a new territorial advance in a region where Moscow has not previously recorded similar successes.
In the past two months, Russian forces have seized a total of about 950 sq km of Ukrainian territory. According to the Ukrainian analytical platform Deep State, as of June 28, Russia controls a total of 113,588 sq km of Ukrainian territory - with 943 sq km km more than in the previous period.
The fighting continues with increasing intensity, despite statements from both sides about a possible peace. Russian forces have recently advanced in Sumy region, where they have also managed to seize about 200 sq. km.
Moscow has stated its readiness for a peace agreement, but on the condition that Ukraine withdraws from the four regions that Russia almost completely controls and which, according to the Kremlin, are already a legitimate part of the Russian Federation. Ukraine and its Western allies define these conditions as unacceptable and tantamount to capitulation.
Currently, Russia controls the following territories in Ukraine: all of Crimea, almost all of Luhansk region (over 99%), over 70% of Donetsk, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions, as well as parts of Kharkiv, Sumy and Dnipropetrovsk regions. This constitutes about a fifth of the territory of Ukraine.
The prospects for a diplomatic solution remain unclear as hostilities expand into new regions.