Russia claims offensive in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast aimed at creating 'buffer zone,' Ukraine denies reports of incursion

Russian forces are conducting their offensive in Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk Oblast as part of efforts to create a "buffer zone" on Ukrainian territory, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on June 9, according to Russian state-controlled media.

Peskov's comments allude to Russia's claims that neighboring Ukrainian Donetsk Oblast belongs to Moscow. The claim is based on Russia's proclaimed annexation of the region in September 2022.

Kremlin spokesperson comments follow weeks of renewed Russian advances in Donetsk Oblast and President Vladimir Putin's May 22 statement that Moscow is working to establish a "security buffer zone" along Ukraine's borders with Kursk, Bryansk, and Belgorod oblasts.

Ukrainian officials denied Russia's latest claims of progress in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.

"As of the morning of June 9, all Russian information, including Peskov's statements, about an offensive in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast does not correspond to reality,” said Andrii Kovalenko, head of Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation.

Operational Command South reported on June 8 that Russian troops are continuing attempts to break into Dnipropetrovsk Oblast but described the situation as "tense"  rather than indicating any successful advance.

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed on June 8 that its forces had entered Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. Ukrainian officials immediately rejected the assertion.

Viktor Trehubov, spokesperson for Ukraine's Khortytsia group of forces, also called the reports false, telling CNN that Russian forces had not advanced from the Pokrovsk or Novopavlivka directions, where the three oblasts of Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Dnipropetrovsk converge.

Since 2014, Russian aggression has heavily impacted Donetsk Oblast, while Dnipropetrovsk Oblast has remained free from confirmed ground incursions. Ukraine rejected similar Russian claims in May, when officials debunked allegedly fabricated photos purportedly showing Russian troops in the region.

Despite this, Dnipropetrovsk has faced frequent Russian missile and drone attacks throughout the full-scale war. The region began mandatory evacuations from four front-line villages in April as a precaution.

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The Kyiv IndependentAnna Fratsyvir