First major attacks: Russian troops penetrate Ukraine's industrial heartland

Russia has advanced its armed forces into the Dnipropetrovsk region of Ukraine . The Ukrainian armed forces have confirmed the advance and stated that Russia is attempting to consolidate its positions in the region. According to a BBC report, the attack is the first of this magnitude in Dnipropetrovsk.

The Russians had claimed since the summer that they had reached the region and were attempting to advance further into Ukraine from Donetsk. In June, Russian officials stated that the offensive had begun, but Ukrainian reports indicate that they had barely crossed the region's border.

According to the mapping project "DeepState," two villages in the region are said to have been occupied by Russia. The Ukrainian army denies this, saying it controls one of the villages while fighting is taking place in the other, reports the Independent .

While Moscow has not laid claim to Dnipropetrovsk, it has nevertheless attacked major cities like Dnipro and targeted the energy sector in Poltava. Before the war, over three million people lived in Dnipropetrovsk, and the region was an important industrial center in Ukraine.

Russia is also making progress in Donetsk – despite heavy losses. An infantry unit suddenly advanced ten kilometers near Dobropillya before the advance was apparently halted, the BBC reports. According to the report, Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly told US President Donald Trump that he would be willing to end the war if Ukraine handed over the remaining parts of the Donetsk region. Many Ukrainians, however, believe Russia has entirely different plans.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warned that a peace agreement that would hand over territory to Russia would be "a trap." "Russia hasn't made a single concession, and they are the aggressors," she said, according to the BBC.