Russia Claims Major Territorial Gains in Eastern Ukraine, Occupies Hundreds of Villages

Описание: Russia Claims Major Territorial Gains in Eastern Ukraine, Occupies Hundreds of Villages



Russia is intensifying its offensive in eastern Ukraine,  asserting control over new swathes of territory and  dozens of villages as part of what Moscow calls a decisive campaign. General Valery Gerasimov, Russia’s chief of the general staff, declared that “the strategic initiative lies entirely with Russian forces” , emphasizing that troops are conducting a “non-stop offensive along almost the entire front line. ”

According to Gerasimov, Russian forces have captured over 3,500 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory and 149 villages since March, marking one of the largest claimed advances in months. He added that Russia has now pushed into Ukraine’s southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region, seizing control of seven villages there.

Independent assessments align with parts of these claims. Ukrainian and open-source estimates  suggest Russia now controls nearly 88% of the Donbas region and more than 73% of the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions. This includes full control over almost all of Luhansk,  79% of Donetsk, 74% of Zaporizhzhia, and 76% of Kherson, totaling more than 46,500 square kilometers under Russian occupation.

Moscow’s assertion that it holds the strategic initiative signals growing pressure on Ukrainian defenses. If confirmed, the advances threaten Ukraine’s hold over critical industrial and agricultural hubs in the east and southeast, while further complicating Kyiv’s already strained military resources.

#EasternUkraine #Russia # #Reuters #Geopolitics #Globalpolitics

SOURCES:
• Reuters – Russia wages non-stop offensive along Ukraine front line, says military chief
• Reuters – Russia controls about 88% of Donbas; 73% of Zaporizhzhia & Kherson