Why fighting intensifies in Dnipropetrovsk region: Expert explains

The active combat in Dnipropetrovsk region is linked to Russia’s tactics aimed at establishing so-called sanitary zones along the border and gradually advancing into Ukrainian territory.

This was stated by military expert, retired Colonel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and former spokesman for the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (2014–2017), Vladyslav Seleznyov, during a live broadcast on Espresso.

«As early as May last year, dictator Putin set a clear task for his army — to create buffer zones in Ukraine’s border regions. At that time, it was about Kharkiv, Sumy, and Chernihiv regions. However, if you look at the new version of the Russian constitution, which includes Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk, and Donetsk regions as „theirs“, it illustrates what the Kremlin is dreaming of, ” he noted.

According to Seleznyov, in the enemy’s logic, sanitary zones must also be created in territories adjacent to these regions. This is why the fighting in Dnipropetrovsk region is part of a broader strategy rather than spontaneous actions.

«Russia will continue to pressure our positions and lines, with the long-term goal of advancing toward Mykolaiv and possibly Odesa regions. However, the key factor remains the resilience of the Ukrainian military, which directly depends on resource support from both Ukraine’s defense industry and assistance from our Western partners, ” the expert stressed.