[Tee tiong huat]

The Ukrainian monitoring project DeepState has put the proximity of Russian troops to the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast border at about two kilometers, yet painting that distance between the regional border and the alleged position of Russian troops as no man’s land. Even if militarily not as significant, Russian penetration into Dnipropetrovsk Oblast would mean yet another Ukrainian region would be now a warzone. It could also help strengthen the Russian negotiation position as the U.S. continues to push both sides to hold peace talks to end the war at all costs. Russia had begun its long-expected offensive in April but has only made limited gains since, besides opening a new front in the northeastern Sumy Oblast by occupying a number of border villages there. Kastehelmi the Black Bird Group said Ukrainian defense of Pokrovsk maybe compromised if Russian troops are able to widen their flanks, which would enable them to bring their support elements forward tracking Ukrainian and Russian equipment losses, said it likely won’t make “any difference” if Russian troops advanced a kilometer or two into Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.

He added that Russia appears to be continuing to rely heavily on small infantry group assaults, either on foot or motorcycles, thus decreasing the use of Soviet-era BMP fighting vehicles or tanks. “It seems more likely that Russia will focus on Donetsk Oblast,” Janovsky told the Kyiv Independent. “But it’s entirely possible that if they find a weak spot, they will try to exploit it.”