There is no confirmed information that Russian troops have entered Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, spokesperson Victor Tregubov of the Khortytsia group of forces told Ukrainian media outlet Suspilne on June 13, refuting earlier claims published by the New York Times (NYT).

The NYT cited Ukrainian military sources claiming that Russian troops crossed the administrative boundary into Dnipropetrovsk Oblast for the first time since the war began.

The reporting also referenced a map by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) indicating that Russian forces advancing in the region had allegedly secured a foothold.

Tregubov said the situation remains unchanged as of June 13. He indicated that no information suggests Russian forces have crossed the administrative border, but he noted that updated intelligence may be available later in the day.

Andrii Zadubiny, press officer of the Khortytsia forces, also rejected the claims.

"No enemy incursion into Dnipropetrovsk Oblast has been recorded. We refute this information," he told Suspilne. He suggested that ISW might be relying on Russian sources.

On June 8, Russia's Defense Ministry claimed that its forces had entered Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, a claim that has not been substantiated by Ukrainian authorities.

The Ukrainian monitoring group DeepState also reported no evidence of Russian forces entering the oblast. A map depicting Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine indicates that the Russian troops are only a couple of kilometers from the border.

To date, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast — a major industrial region in central Ukraine — has not seen confirmed Russian ground incursions, though it has remained under constant threat from missile and drone attacks.

In late April, Ukrainian authorities began mandatory evacuations of families with children from four front-line villages — Kolona Mezhova, Novopidhorodne, Raipole, and Sukhareva Balka — located just kilometers from Russian positions.

The latest developments come amid growing pressure on Ukrainian defenses across multiple fronts and continued failure of U.S.-mediated negotiations to produce a ceasefire agreement.

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Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha warned on June 13 that Russia has begun preparing strategic military reserves, signaling plans for military operations that may extend beyond Ukraine.

"According to our intelligence, Russia has started to prepare strategic reserves, which indicates plans for combat operations not only in Ukraine," Sybiha said during the Globsec conference in Prague, calling for urgent diplomatic and economic pressure.

"Allies need full diplomatic mobilization to stop this war. This is not just a question for Ukraine. (Russian President Vladimir) Putin only understands strength, and right now it's crucial to apply sanctions in a timely manner, using them as economic weapons to pressure Russia," Sybiha said.

The comments come as Russia intensifies its military offensives and missile strikes across Ukraine, despite participating in two recent rounds of peace talks in Istanbul. The first talks were held on May 16, followed by a second meeting on June 2. While both rounds produced agreements on prisoner exchanges, they failed to secure a ceasefire.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a June 12 interview with Germany's Bild newspaper that Russia is using the talks to delay tougher U.S. sanctions, while continuing to escalate attacks on Ukrainian cities.

Russia also continues to issue nuclear threats to Western countries. Putin claimed on June 11 that Russia possesses the world's most advanced nuclear systems, with 95% of its strategic nuclear forces reportedly made up of modern equipment.

Putin emphasized the need to significantly strengthen Russia's ground forces. Russian defense spending has surged to 6.3% of GDP, the highest level since the Cold War, as Moscow continues to ramp up its military investment amid the ongoing war.

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The Kyiv IndependentChris York

More than 100,000 Russian families have contacted a Ukrainian-run initiative in search of information about missing Russian soldiers, Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of the Prisoners of War (POWs) said on June 12.

The announcement comes as Russia and Ukraine are conducting a series of the most extensive prisoner exchanges since the beginning of the large-scale war in 2022. The latest phase of the exchange occurred on June 12.

The initiative, called "I Want to Find" (Russian: "Хочу найти"), has received 100,324 requests from Russian citizens seeking answers about relatives who vanished while serving in Russia's military, the Coordination Headquarters said.

The actual number of missing Russian troops is believed to be significantly higher. Since launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Kremlin has largely concealed the scale of its military losses, forcing many families to search independently, Ukrainian officials said.

In May 2025 alone, the project received a record 12,320 inquiries — the highest monthly figure since the program began in January 2024.

Through the project, families can verify whether their relatives have been captured or killed, which may enable them to pressure Russian authorities to pursue prisoner exchanges. As of June, Ukraine has confirmed 2,415 Russian soldiers held in captivity, with 1,126 of them already exchanged for Ukrainian defenders, the Coordination Headquarters said.

"Many more Russians remain in captivity, but not all families know about the program or have submitted requests," the agency added.

A detailed analysis of the requests revealed that some of Russia's most severely depleted units include the 15th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade (Military Unit 90600), which accounts for 2,277 missing personnel — the highest of any single unit. Of the 20 most-affected units, 17 are motorized rifle brigades, often deployed in Russia's most brutal infantry assaults, commonly referred to as "meat grinder" tactics.

The data also showed that 26% of missing soldiers were under the age of 30. The youngest reported missing was 18, and the oldest was 67.

The project has also uncovered a shift in public sentiment, claiming 75% of those submitting requests said they do not support Russia's war in Ukraine.

According to the Ukrainian General Staff, Russia has lost over 1 million troops since the start of its invasion — a figure reported for the first time on June 12, with 1,140 casualties recorded in just one day. The total reported Russian losses stand at 1,000,340 as of that date.

The Kremlin has not commented on the figures.

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A Russian soldier was seen firing a grenade launcher at a residential building in Sudzha, a border town in Russia's Kursk Oblast retaken from Ukrainian forces earlier this year, in a video published by independent Russian news outlet Astra on June 9.

In the footage, the soldier is seen loading a grenade launcher while repeatedly shouting "Akhmat! Chechnya!" — a reference to Chechen dictator Ramzan Kadyrov's forces — before firing in the direction of a residential area.

The Orthodox Holy Trinity Church stands behind the impact site, Astra noted.

It is unclear when the video was filmed. Russian authorities later confirmed the man in the video was a junior sergeant from the 158th military commandant's office.

Kursk Oblast Governor Alexander Khinshtein wrote on Telegram on June 9 that the shot narrowly missed the church and struck a residential building. He added that the soldier died in a traffic accident while fleeing from law enforcement in early June.

"He will answer for his actions in another court: in early June, the junior sergeant died in a traffic accident," the governor wrote. "This is a lesson for everyone, regardless of religion."

Russian troops retook Sudzha in March, months after Ukrainian forces captured the town during the August 2024 cross-border incursion into Russia's Kursk Oblast.

The incursion prompted a months-long Russian counteroffensive, backed by North Korean forces, which forced Ukrainian troops to withdraw from much of the previously seized territory.

Located just 10 kilometers (around 6 miles) from Ukraine's northeastern border, Sudzha had a pre-war population of around 6,000.

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The Kyiv IndependentKate Tsurkan

Russian forces are conducting their offensive in Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk Oblast as part of efforts to create a "buffer zone" on Ukrainian territory, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on June 9, according to Russian state-controlled media.

Peskov's comments allude to Russia's claims that neighboring Ukrainian Donetsk Oblast belongs to Moscow. The claim is based on Russia's proclaimed annexation of the region in September 2022.

Kremlin spokesperson comments follow weeks of renewed Russian advances in Donetsk Oblast and President Vladimir Putin's May 22 statement that Moscow is working to establish a "security buffer zone" along Ukraine's borders with Kursk, Bryansk, and Belgorod oblasts.

Ukrainian officials denied Russia's latest claims of progress in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.

"As of the morning of June 9, all Russian information, including Peskov's statements, about an offensive in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast does not correspond to reality,” said Andrii Kovalenko, head of Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation.

Operational Command South reported on June 8 that Russian troops are continuing attempts to break into Dnipropetrovsk Oblast but described the situation as "tense"  rather than indicating any successful advance.

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed on June 8 that its forces had entered Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. Ukrainian officials immediately rejected the assertion.

Viktor Trehubov, spokesperson for Ukraine's Khortytsia group of forces, also called the reports false, telling CNN that Russian forces had not advanced from the Pokrovsk or Novopavlivka directions, where the three oblasts of Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Dnipropetrovsk converge.

Since 2014, Russian aggression has heavily impacted Donetsk Oblast, while Dnipropetrovsk Oblast has remained free from confirmed ground incursions. Ukraine rejected similar Russian claims in May, when officials debunked allegedly fabricated photos purportedly showing Russian troops in the region.

Despite this, Dnipropetrovsk has faced frequent Russian missile and drone attacks throughout the full-scale war. The region began mandatory evacuations from four front-line villages in April as a precaution.

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Russians are advancing — after a breakthrough in the region, Sumy may come under direct fire.
On the border of Sumy Oblast, Russian occupiers have intensified their offensive and advanced 6–7 kilometers deep into Ukrainian territory.

Russia does not intend to stop at creating a so-called “buffer zone,” adds Shevtsov. Its goal is the full occupation of Sumy Oblast, as well as Kharkiv Oblast and other regions in eastern Ukraine.

According to Andrii Demchenko, spokesperson for the State Border Guard Service (SBGS), about 50,000 Russian troops have been concentrated in Kursk Oblast near the Russian border, UNIAN reports. 

The offensive is accompanied by intense shelling from drones, artillery, and aircraft using glide bombs and guided missiles.

All of this aims to complicate the defense of Ukrainian positions and push even deeper.

“The situation is not easy — in fact, it’s difficult. The Russians are sending infantry groups toward Yunakivka and Khotin. If earlier we observed activity in the areas of Basivka and Zhuravka, now the zone has expanded,” Demchenko says.

So far, heavy armored vehicles have not been used. Instead, Russia is deploying infantry, including units on quad bikes and motorcycles, to quickly break into Ukrainian territory.

The invaders are trying to entrench themselves in forest belts and hideouts while awaiting reinforcements.

“We must pay tribute to our soldiers, who are bravely holding the defense and destroying dozens of invaders every day… But unfortunately, the enemy does not care about its losses — some die, others keep coming,” the military spokesperson emphasizes. 

According to Demchenko, the occupiers’ goal is to gradually expand the combat zone and move closer to strategically important logistical hubs to increase pressure on Ukraine’s defense forces.

Authorities have ordered the mandatory evacuation of residents from 11 additional villages in Sumy Oblast due to escalating Russian attacks, Governor Oleh Hryhorov said on May 31.

Hryhorov signed the order citing the "constant threat to civilian life" caused by ongoing shelling in the region. The evacuation covers settlements in local communities of Sumy Oblast, which lies  near the Russian border.

"(Russia) continues its terror of the borderlands, and our shared task is to save every life," Hryhorov said in a statement. "I urge residents not to delay the decision to evacuate. Staying in a zone of constant danger is a direct threat to your life and health."

With the latest order, a total of 213 settlements in Sumy Oblast are now under mandatory evacuation.

The move comes as Ukrainian officials and military analysts warn of a possible new Russian offensive targeting the region. On May 29, State Border Guard Service spokesperson Andrii Demchenko said Russia had amassed "sufficient forces" in neighboring Kursk Oblast to potentially launch an incursion into Sumy.

Speaking on national television, Demchenko noted that Russian troops have remained stationed in Kursk Oblast after being pushed out by Ukrainian forces during a counteroffensive in August 2024. Since then, Kyiv has observed fluctuating numbers of soldiers and equipment along the border.

"They have enough forces there (in Kursk Oblast) to carry out operations against our border and attempt to attack the territory of Ukraine," Demchenko said.

Russian forces recently captured four border villages, Novenke, Zhuravka, Veselivka, and Basivka, prompting further concern. President Volodymyr Zelensky said earlier that Moscow is concentrating 50,000 troops near Sumy Oblast in a bid to create a 10-kilometer buffer zone.

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The Kyiv IndependentTim Zadorozhnyy

Ukrainian forces captured 971 Russian servicemen during the Kursk operation, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Ukrainian forces launched a surprise cross-border incursion into Russia’s Kursk Oblast in August 2024, initially capturing significant territory and hundreds of prisoners before Russian counterattacks and overwhelming force led to a Ukrainian withdrawal by March 2025. The operation aimed to divert Russian resources, inflict military damage, and gain leverage for negotiations, but reportedly failed to sustain a long-term foothold in Russian territory.

“Defense Forces continuously fill the ‘exchange fund’ with Russian soldiers and officers to free our people from enemy dungeons,” the General Staff reported.

The Kursk offensive operation proved most effective for prisoner captures. Ukrainian defenders took 971 Russian military personnel captive between 6 August 2024, and 25 May 2025, the General Staff stated.

Defense Forces of Ukraine continue active operations in Kursk Oblast, according to the statement.

The General Staff described the Kursk campaign as an unexpected asymmetric move. “A quantitatively superior enemy can only be defeated by unconventional decisions, and the Kursk campaign became exactly such an unexpected and asymmetric move, the success of which is recognized by the world,” officials said.

The announcement comes after Ukraine and Russia completed a major prisoner exchange. The countries conducted their first part of a 1000-for-1000 agreement on 23 May. Ukraine returned 390 people, including 270 military personnel and 120 civilians.

Russia returned 307 Ukrainian defenders on 24 May. All were male enlisted personnel and sergeants.

On 25 May, Ukraine and Russia conducted the third part of the 1000-for-1000 exchange. Another 303 Ukrainian defenders returned home.

However, the three-day exchange did not include certain groups. Colonel Denis Prokopenko, commander of the Azov National Guard brigade, said no Azov fighters were exchanged during the three days.

Writer and former Kremlin political prisoner Stanislav Aseyev said that none of the civilians released in the 1000-for-1000 format had been in Russian captivity for eight years.