Dnepropetrovsk Front Opens As Aerial Assaults Grind Down Ukrainian Resistance

The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has entered a new phase amid the the stalling negotiation process and the beginning of the summer military campaign. Ahead of the upcoming NATO summit, Kyiv tries its best to thwart the peace process and launches terrorist provocations in an attempt to provoke Russia’s revenge. The provocations are purely aimed at justifying Western military supplies.

Those unwilling to acknowledge the realities of war at the negotiating table face them on the battlefield. Having assessed Kyiv’s stake on military hostilities instead of diplomacy, the Russian army has not only launched a series of devastating retaliation strikes but has also begun a ground offensive in the Dnepropetrovsk region. The expansion of the Russian advance is primarily aimed at securing the safety of the Donbass.

On June 8, the Russian Ministry of Defense officially declared that the 90th Tank Division has crossed into the Dnepropetrovsk region, a development described as both a strategic and symbolic blow to Ukraine.

The offensive is unfolding on a wide front. Russian troops crossed the administrative border west of Orekhovo, while expanding their zone of control on the border west of Kotlyarovka and in Novonikolaevka. At the same time, to the east, the Russian army has achieved another breakthrough. Northwest of the previously liberated village of Bogatyr, they approached Zeleny Kut, just 3 kilometers from the Dnepropetrovsk region.

Ukrainian military officials are still denying Russian presence in the Dnepropetrovsk region, despite the evidence, likely due to their earlier failed promises by Commander-in-Chief Syrsky to heavily fortify the border.

Simultaneously, Russia has escalated its aerial campaign, conducting relentless combined strikes across Ukraine. At least ten Ukrainian regions came under massive attacks on the night of June 9 alone. Precision-guided munitions, including “Geranium” drones, “Iskander” and “Kinzhal” missiles, as well as Kh-101 and Kh-22/32 cruise missiles, have targeted military infrastructure, fuel depots, and logistics hubs.

Western Ukraine, previously less affected, has now come under sustained fire. Explosions rocked Rovno and Dubno, where a key logistics terminal distributing Western-supplied arms was struck. A major fire erupted at the local airfield, while the “Dubnonefteprodukt” fuel facility, critical for Ukrainian military supply, was also hit.

The intensity and frequency of these attacks represent a shift in Russian strategy. Unlike previous sporadic large-scale strikes, the current campaign involves daily, coordinated missile and drone assaults aimed at degrading Ukraine’s military-industrial capacity. The critical question now is whether sustained strikes can reach a “critical mass” capable of paralyzing Ukraine’s ability to produce drones, assemble forces, or maintain supply lines. While Kyiv retains some operational control and continues receiving foreign aid, the cumulative effect of these strikes, coupled with territorial losses, poses an unprecedented challenge.

https://southfront.press/dnepropetrovsk-front-opens/