Russian soldiers have advanced into Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region, the Moscow's Defense Ministry has said.
Why It Matters
Moscow is pushing into new territory in a region which has remained under Ukrainian control throughout the conflict, while simultaneously blaming Ukraine for stalling peace negotiations.
Russian control of the Dnipropetrovsk region, just west of Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia, would mean a threat to Kyiv from the southeast.
What To Know
The Russian Defense Ministry said in a post on Telegram on Sunday: "Units of the 90th Tank Division of the Center Forces Group have reached the western border of the Donetsk People's Republic and continue to develop the offensive in the territory of the Dnipropetrovsk region."
Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) maps do not yet show the invasion of the Dnipropetrovsk region, according to analysis by the independent Russia-language news channel Agency News.
However, the maps show that the combat zone is located in close proximity to the region's border, according to OSINT project DeepState.
Pro-Russian blogger Yuriy Podolyaka wrote about the announcement on Telegram, saying: "As they say in such cases, now officially...But in fact, we have already entered there on a fairly wide front."
Russian TV presenter Vladimir Solovyov was one of several who previously claimed that the Russian army had entered Dnipropetrovsk in May.
Ukrainian authorities denied this at the time, calling the reports and photos circulating about it fake.
Newsweek has contacted Ukraine's Ministry of Defense, via email, for comment.
Kyiv recently released a map showing what it says are Russia's plans to seize half of Ukraine by the end of next year.
The Ukrainian Presidential Office deputy head, Colonel Pavlo Palisa, made the claims, and they were followed by President Donald Trump warning that he would use further sanctions against Moscow if the war dragged on.
The map presented by Kyiv shows territorial intentions far beyond the formal demands Moscow has made before it would agree to a ceasefire. Trump has warned of further sanctions on Russia if it drags out peace negotiations.
A bipartisan sanctions bill in the U.S. seeks to impose a 500-percent levy on imports from countries that buy Russian oil and raw materials.
What People Are Saying
The Institute for the Study of War said in its Saturday report: "Any increased economic pressure against Russia -- while a positive policy development -- by itself is insufficient to force Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table or change Putin's theory of victory. The continuation of Western military aid to Ukraine remains pivotal to the execution of a pressure campaign against Russia that could force Putin to recalculate his theory of victory."
Ukrainian Presidential Office Deputy Head Colonel Pavlo Palisa said Thursday: Russia's "plan for next year is to occupy the whole part of Ukraine which is situated on the left bank of the Dnieper River," and "occupy the Odesa and Mykolaiv regions to cut Ukraine's access to the Black Sea."
President Donald Trump said about U.S. sanctions: "If I think Russia will not be making a deal or stopping the bloodshed...I'll use it if it's necessary."
What Happens Next
Ukraine's response to Russia's claims about the Dnipropetrovsk region is yet to be seen.
Mississippi Republican Senator Roger Wicker said on Wednesday that Trump had asked the Senate to postpone voting on the bill, which, if implemented, would impose measures that include: