• 2025-09-13 08:42 PM

MOSCOW: Russia’s defence ministry announced the capture of Novomykolaivka village in Ukraine’s central Dnipropetrovsk region on Saturday.

Moscow’s forces reportedly reached the area near the Donetsk border in early July, though AFP could not independently verify the claim.

Ukrainian military analysts operating the DeepState battlefield map maintained that the village remains under Kyiv’s control.

Russian troops continue to hold significant advantages in equipment and numbers across the eastern front.

Ukraine first acknowledged Russian entry into Dnipropetrovsk region in late August after Moscow reported earlier advances.

The Russian military currently occupies approximately one fifth of Ukrainian territory.

Kremlin officials demand Ukrainian withdrawal from the eastern Donbas region as a precondition for ceasing hostilities.

Dnipropetrovsk is not among the five Ukrainian regions that Russia has formally claimed as its own territory.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on Friday that Vladimir Putin intends to occupy all of Ukraine regardless of territorial concessions.

The Kremlin acknowledged that peace negotiations with Kyiv remain paused following several unsuccessful diplomatic attempts. – AFP