Kyiv: Ukraine has firmly denied Russia's assertions that Russian forces have crossed into the Dnipropetrovsk region and taken control of a settlement, marking what would be a significant shift in the ongoing conflict between the two nations since February 2022.

According to Anadolu Agency, Ukraine's General Staff issued a statement on Telegram, asserting that Ukrainian forces are actively working to thwart Russian attempts to breach the administrative border between the Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk regions. This statement came in response to claims made by a Russian official earlier in the week, who reported capturing a settlement in the region, an area frequently targeted by Russian airstrikes throughout the conflict.

Vladimir Rogov, a pro-Russian official, informed state news agency RIA on Monday that Russian troops had expelled Ukrainian forces from Dachne, a village situated less than a kilometer from Dnipropetrovsk's administrative boundary with eastern Donetsk. Meanwhile, Russia's Defense Ministry announced the previous day that their forces had seized control of Novoukrainka, located approximately 3.5 kilometers southeast of Dachne.

In late May, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had indicated that the Russian army was attempting to penetrate the Dnipropetrovsk region. The General Staff's statement further revealed that a small Russian reconnaissance unit briefly entered Dachne but was subsequently eliminated by Ukrainian forces. Two Russian servicemen were reportedly captured as prisoners of war during a subsequent assault.

The statement concluded by dismissing reports of a successful Russian seizure in the Dnipropetrovsk region, affirming that Dachne remains under Ukrainian control. As of now, Russian authorities have not addressed Ukraine's claims, and independent verification of these reports remains challenging due to the ongoing conflict.