Latest news with #Khortytsia
Egypt Independent
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Egypt Independent
Russian forces claim new advance deeper into Ukraine, amid dispute over dead soldiers
Kyiv CNN — Russia claimed Sunday that its forces are for the first time pushing into the central Ukrainian region of Dnipropetrovsk, an area it has been trying to reach for months, in a move that could create new problems for Kyiv's much-stretched forces. Subunits from the Russian military's 90th tank division reached the border of Dnipropetrovsk with the Donetsk region, large parts of which are already under Russian occupation, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense. After this, they continued into Dnipropetrovsk, the defense ministry claimed. The extent of the advance is unclear, as are Moscow's ambitions for the assault. CNN is unable to verify the battlefield reports, and Ukraine has denied the Russian advance. Viktor Trehubov, spokesperson for Ukraine's Khortytsia forces, which is in command of the area Moscow alleged it broke through, told CNN that 'the Russians are constantly spreading false information that they have entered the Dnipropetrovsk region from the Pokrovsk and Novopavlivka directions, but (in neither place) is this information true.' But if confirmed, the Russian advance would be a setback for Ukrainian forces at a time when peace talks have stalled. Russian forces have also in recent weeks made incremental progress in the northern Sumy region, as well as near Lyman in Donetsk. The Russian advance would also put further pressure on the Ukrainians' grip on the town of Pokrovsk, a key hub that has been under Russian assault for months. Ukraine's General Staff said Sunday morning that its troops had stopped 65 'offensive' Russian actions in the Pokrovsk direction. An Institute for the Study of War (ISW) assessment of Russia's offensive campaign found that Russian forces continued their offensive operations in the Pokrovsk direction on Saturday, but did not advance. Russia now controls just under one-fifth of Ukrainian territory, according to the Ukrainian analysis group Deep State. That includes Crimea and parts of eastern Ukraine that were occupied before Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, said that Russia pushed forward with the Dnipropetrovsk offensive after Ukraine refused to recognize Russia's territorial gains during the peace talks in Istanbul. 'Anyone who does not want to acknowledge the realities of war in negotiations will receive new realities on the ground,' Medvedev said on Telegram. Dnipropetrovsk is bordered by three regions that are partially occupied by Russia – Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. One of Russia's declared goals is capturing all three regions. It already occupies all but a slither of a fourth region, Luhansk. Dnipropetrovsk is more sparsely populated and rural than those four regions, known as the Donbas, and will be more difficult to defend. It is an important mining and logistics center and had an estimated population of three million before the war began. Russia's claim comes days after its forces advanced further in the northern Sumy region, bringing the region's capital within range of drones and artillery. While capturing the region's capital city, also named Sumy, is likely beyond what Moscow is setting out to do, the move underlines the pressure Kyiv is under, from the northern border to the Black Sea. Failed prisoner swap Russia's advances in Ukraine come as the two countries clashed after a planned swap of prisoners of war failed to take place on Saturday. Moscow accused Kyiv of unexpectedly postponing a transfer involving prisoners of war and the bodies of dead soldiers, leaving hundreds of Ukrainian bodies in refrigerated trucks waiting to be collected from an exchange point. Ukrainian officials rejected this account, saying that the two sides had agreed to exchange seriously wounded and young troops on Saturday but a date had not yet been set for the repatriation of soldiers' remains. During a second round of direct peace talks in Istanbul on Monday, Russia and Ukraine agreed to exchange more prisoners this weekend. Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukrainian Defense Intelligence, said that his country was strictly adhering to the agreements reached in Istanbul and that the start of 'repatriation measures' is scheduled to take place next week. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky insisted that Ukraine is doing everything possible to ensure the release of prisoners and the return of the soldiers' bodies. 'Unfortunately, there are still no complete lists from Russia for a thousand plus people – which we agreed on in Istanbul,' he said. 'Fighting like crazy' The conflict has intensified in recent weeks. Ukraine conducted an audacious drone attack that took out multiple aircraft inside Russia last Sunday, as well as a strike on the bridge connecting Russia to the annexed Crimean peninsula using underwater explosives on Monday. Russian forces have also advanced further into Ukraine, attempting to grab territory quickly as peace talks between the warring countries continue. Delegations representing Kyiv and Moscow met in Istanbul on Monday for a second round of peace negotiations, but there were no major breakthroughs, with talks lasting a little over an hour. Critics have accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of dragging out peace negotiations so that his country can grab more Ukrainian land. Despite his insistence that he wants an end to the fighting, Putin has refused to agree to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire, instead proposing a much narrower ceasefire, lasting just two or three days in certain parts of the frontline. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly told Russia and Ukraine there will be consequences if they don't engage in his peace process, although he has so far resisted growing calls from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers to use sanctions to pressure Putin into winding down his war. On Thursday, Trump compared the warring states to children fighting, telling reporters: 'Sometimes you see two young children fighting like crazy. They hate each other, and they're fighting in a park, and you try and pull them apart. They don't want to be pulled. Sometimes you're better off letting them fight for a while and then pulling them apart.' He said that only he would know when the right time to apply sanctions on Russia would be, even suggesting he'd be willing to use new punitive measures on Ukraine if the war doesn't end. 'We'll be very, very, very tough, and it could be on both countries to be honest,' Trump said. 'You know, it takes two to tango.'
Time of India
a day ago
- Politics
- Time of India
New front in Ukraine war? Russia breaches new region of Dnipropetrovsk; peace talks stalled
A view after a Russian attack that hit a residential building in Kharkiv, Ukraine (Pic credit: AP) Russia on Sunday claimed it had advanced into Ukraine's eastern Dnipropetrovsk region for the first time since the full-scale invasion began three years ago, signalling a potentially serious escalation in the conflict amid stalled peace talks and mounting losses on both sides. Moscow's defence ministry said tank forces had breached the western border of the Donetsk People's Republic and were "continuing to develop an offensive in the Dnipropetrovsk region," a vital industrial and mining hub that was previously untouched by Russian ground incursions. If confirmed, the move would represent both a strategic and symbolic blow to Ukrainian forces already stretched thin across a 1,000-km frontline. Viktor Trehubov, spokesperson for Ukraine's Khortytsia forces, told CNN that "the Russians are constantly spreading false information that they have entered the Dnipropetrovsk region from the Pokrovsk and Novopavlivka directions, but (in neither place) is this information true." Ukraine's top political and military leadership has yet to officially respond, though the southern army command acknowledged the threat, saying, "Russia does not give up its intentions to enter the Dnipropetrovsk region, but our fighters are bravely and professionally holding their section of the frontline." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với mức chênh lệch giá thấp nhất IC Markets Đăng ký Undo Medvedev issues warning Russia's former president, Dmitry Medvedev, now deputy head of the national security council, issued a stark message amid the reported advance, "Those who do not want to recognise the realities of the war at negotiations will receive new realities on the ground." Images released by Russia's defence ministry showed soldiers raising the national flag in Zorya, a village near the internal border of Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk. Ukrainian officials have not confirmed the loss of any territory. Ukrainian lieutenant colonel Oleksandr, speaking from Mezhova, roughly 12 km from the border, told AFP that the advance was "very slow" and unlikely to change the course of battle dramatically. "They could say all of Ukraine belongs to them. Saying it is one thing," he said. "But I don't think it will radically change the situation. Our resistance will remain unchanged." Strategic significance of Dnipropetrovsk The Dnipropetrovsk region, home to nearly three million people before the war, includes Dnipro, a major industrial city that has been repeatedly targeted by Russian missile strikes. A deeper Russian push into this region could severely strain Ukraine's military resources and deal another blow to its war-hit economy. Ukrainian officers say the terrain, mostly flat with fewer defensive positions, could allow Russian forces to advance faster if Kyiv is unable to hold the line. Last year, Moscow used Dnipro as a testing ground for its "experimental" Oreshnik missile, claiming it had hit an aeronautics facility. Stalled peace talks and prisoner swap The reported advance comes just days after peace talks in Istanbul yielded no breakthrough. Russia has refused to entertain calls from Ukraine, the EU, and US President Donald Trump for an unconditional ceasefire, while demanding formal recognition of its control over five Ukrainian regions, including Donetsk and Crimea, as a precondition for peace. Kyiv has firmly rejected these terms. However, a prisoner exchange, the only concrete agreement from the talks, may begin next week, according to Ukrainian intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov. He said logistics had been communicated to Moscow and preparations were on track despite "the enemy's dirty information game." Russia, meanwhile, accused Ukraine of refusing to reclaim the bodies of dead soldiers. The Kremlin claimed over 1,200 corpses were transported in refrigerated trains to the border, awaiting handover.
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Russia tries to land troops, break through Ukrainian defenses near Vovchansk in Kharkiv Oblast, military says
Russian forces attempted to break through the Ukrainian defense and land troops near the town of Vovchansk in Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine's Khortytsia group of forces reported on April 14. Vovchansk, located just 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the Russian border in Kharkiv Oblast and once home to 17,000 people, has witnessed multiple battles. Vovchansk endured a Russian occupation until September 2022 when Ukrainian troops liberated the town, only to face heavy fighting again after Russia began a new push in May 2024, forcing many residents to flee their homes. The Russian military used three armored vehicles and eight motorized vehicles in the recent assault. Ukrainian forces destroyed two Russian armored vehicles and six motorized vehicles, according to the report. "The search and destruction of the remnants of the enemy's assault groups continues," Khortytsia said. Maksym Komarenko, deputy commander of the 58th Separate Infantry Brigade's rifle battalion, confirmed to Suspilne that Russia had increased the number of attacks in the Kharkiv sector of the front line. "An infantry assault is always accompanied by something. Now the number of air raids has increased, and the number of drones flying at our positions and the settlements that precede Kharkiv has increased," Komarenko said. Previously, Khortytsia said Russian forces were regrouping and preparing for a renewed assault on Kharkiv Oblast. In an official statement, "Khortytsia" reported that Russian troops are actively replenishing their units and preparing to resume offensive operations in the region. Read also: 'Putin believes he has the upper hand' — Ukraine braces for a new Russian spring offensive We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Russian forces push to secure ground west of Oskil River in Kupiansk sector, Ukraine says
Russian troops are stepping up efforts to gain territory on the western bank of the Oskil River, launching intensified assaults in the Kupiansk direction, Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine's military said April 7. Kupiansk has remained a focal point of military activity for months, with Russia seeking to reclaim lost ground and create more favorable conditions for broader offensives in Kharkiv Oblast. President Volodymyr Zelensky warned in an interview with Le Figaro published on March 26 that Russia is preparing for a new offensive in Sumy and Kharkiv oblasts this spring. According to the Operational and Strategic Group of Troops "Khortytsia," Ukrainian forces repelled multiple infantry attacks near the villages of Kamianka, Petropavlivka, Pishchane, Nadiia and Zahryzove. In the area around the village of Bohuslavka, Russian units — backed by armored vehicles and quad bikes — attempted to break through Ukrainian defensive lines, the military said. Russian forces are reportedly trying to transfer additional manpower and supplies across the Oskil River, aiming to strengthen their position on the western side and secure logistics routes for future operations. Ukraine's military says efforts to prevent this crossing remain a priority. 'Our troops are taking active measures to prevent further advances by enemy forces,' the command reported. In March, Ukrainian forces recaptured territory near the village of Dvorichna, about 10 miles north of Kupiansk. Officials say Russian attempts to cross the river have been costly, with some units entrenched in small groups but unable to gain firm control. Ukraine has also accused Russian commanders of using threats of execution to force troops to retake lost positions near Kupiansk, citing intelligence reports. The front line remains just a few kilometers from the city. Read also: As Russia refuses to accept ceasefire, will Trump pressure Moscow? We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Russia trying to bypass Ukraine's positions in Toretsk by going underground, military says
Russian soldiers tried to enter Ukraine's rear in Toretsk in Donetsk Oblast via underground communications as battles in the city continue, said Victor Tregubov, a spokesperson for Ukraine's Khortytsia group of forces, on March 31. Toretsk, which lies roughly 20 kilometers (12 miles) southwest of Russian-occupied Bakhmut, has seen fierce fighting in recent months, and Ukraine launched a counterattack in late February and early March. The city is largely occupied by Russian troops. Speaking on national television, Tregubov said that Russian troops are having difficulty moving through the streets of Toretsk, so they have resorted to underground communications to attempt to advance in the city. "Since this is also a priority sector, the Russians are trying to use every chance to bypass Ukrainian troops," the spokesperson said. In a similar instance, Russian troops allegedly used a gas pipeline to gain a foothold on the outskirts of Sudzha in Russia's Kursk Oblast earlier this month to conceal their movement. Last week, Ukraine's military also said that Russian forces have resumed their attacks in the Pokrovsk sector, which had experienced a relative lull in Russian activity until then. President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia is planning renewed offensives in various parts of the front line, including in the Kharkiv, Sumy, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts. Read also: Russia preparing new offensive in 'coming weeks' to strengthen negotiating position, AP reports We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
