Russian forces have occupied the villages of Zelenyi Kut and Novoukrainka in Donetsk Oblast, located near the administrative border with Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, the battlefield monitoring platform DeepState reported on July 5. These occupied villages are situated near the administrative border with Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, which has not seen significant Russian incursions since 2022.
The incursion marks an escalation of Russian assaults in the area, with troops attempting to breach into Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. The situation around Dachne, a nearby front-line settlement in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, is described as intense, according to DeepState’s Telegram update. Ukrainian forces have deployed reinforcements but Russian units, relying on numerical advantage and constant infantry assaults, have breached some defenses in the area, DeepState said.
Ukraine’s military has not officially confirmed the loss of the settlements, but has acknowledged a small Russian reconnaissance unit entering the village of Dachne, taking photos with a Russian flag, and being subsequently eliminated. Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed Novoukrainka was captured as early as June 29, though this assertion was not independently confirmed at the time.
On July 2, Ukraine dismissed Russian claims of advancing into Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, calling them disinformation, and stated that a small Russian reconnaissance unit briefly entered the village of Dachne and was ‘eliminated’. Ukrainian military spokesperson Viktor Trehubov stated in mid-June that Russia was escalating attacks in the Novopavlivka sector and trying to breach into Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.
DeepState analysts suggest that Moscow views an incursion into Dnipropetrovsk Oblast as symbolically significant and a propaganda opportunity, while for Ukraine, holding the administrative line is a strategic priority. Donetsk Oblast has been a central battlefield since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022 in Ukraine. While Dnipropetrovsk Oblast lies further west and has not seen significant Russian incursions, it is frequently targeted with missile, drone, and aerial bomb strikes.