Moscow says 19 settlements seized in summer offensive in southeastern Ukraine
Russian Ministry of Defence says 19 settlements taken in Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia; Kyiv reports 745 km² retaken this year.
Russia's Ministry of Defence said today that Russian forces captured 19 settlements in Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts in southeastern Ukraine during a summer offensive, citing a report by Pyotr Bulgarev, commander of the eastern group of Russian forces. The ministry did not list all the localities taken.
Advance, local gains and wider context
The statement also said that the Russian army recently took control of Rybalske in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. It comes as Moscow's ground advance this year has slowed, even while Russian forces have stepped up ballistic missile strikes on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday said Ukrainian forces have this year recaptured 745 square kilometres of occupied territory along the southeastern front.
Independent verification of battlefield reports remains unavailable at this time, and claims from the two sides differ on the pace and extent of territorial changes.
Military analysts note that gains of individual settlements can be tactically significant for control of local roads and positions, but the broader picture on the southeastern front depends on sustained operations and confirmation on the ground.
For now, both the Russian defence claim and Ukrainian counterclaims illustrate continuing contestation over parts of Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, while international monitors and media have not independently confirmed the full scale of the reported advances.
Photo: press material from the event
