Russian advances in Dnipropetrovsk could sway peace talks
Russia continues its offensive in the Dnipropetrovsk region to gain an advantage in negotiations with Ukraine, reports the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
Russia is stepping up its military activities towards the Dnipropetrovsk region. The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) notes that this move aims to secure a negotiating advantage in discussions with Ukraine. ISW experts suggest that although these actions lack operational significance, they may influence future peace negotiations.
According to the latest ISW analysis, Russian troops are only around 6 kilometres from the border of the Donetsk region with Dnipropetrovsk, near the village of Novovasylivka. Additionally, the Russians are approximately 8 kilometres away from the border of these regions near the town of Novodarivka.
ISW reports that the objective of the Russian forces advancing westward towards the Dnipropetrovsk region from the area around Pokrovsk, a strategic logistics hub for the Ukrainian army, could be to encircle Ukrainian forces and seize control of the remaining parts of the Donetsk region.
The Kremlin plans further annexations
Through the acquisition of the southeastern part of the Dnipropetrovsk region, the Kremlin may aim to lay claim to annexing the remainder of this region in the future. Vladimir Putin previously formally incorporated the Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions into Russia, even though they are not fully controlled by Russian forces.
Russian troops also control limited areas in the north and northeast of the Kharkiv region and the Kinburn Spit in the Mykolaiv region. The Kremlin may attempt to utilise these military formations for further assaults in these areas.
The Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, already announced in March 2024 that Russia plans to seize a larger area of Ukraine. A close advisor to Putin, Nikolai Patrushev, stated that in 2025 "Ukraine may cease to exist," as the Kremlin seeks to occupy larger portions of Ukrainian territory than currently controlled by Russian troops.
