Ukraine war latest: Putin’s troops have entered Dnipropetrovsk region, Kyiv says

Russia has been accused of being “disrespectful” to the peace process in its war with Ukraine, with the Government saying it is dragging its feet over talks.

Downing Street said Vladimir Putin was blatantly stalling progress, less than a fortnight since the Russian president met with US President Donald Trump in Alaska.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, along with European leaders, met Mr Trump in Washington days after the Alaska meeting to get an update on the talks.

“I think Russia cannot be more blatant about dragging its feet, and stalling the peace talks,” the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said.

“Ukraine has long been clear it’s willing to enter the… peace talks.

“But we continue to see Russia and President Putin prevaricate, these unrealistic asks and delaying tactics to ensure these bilaterals aren’t going ahead.”

Donald Trump believes Vladimir Putin is avoiding meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky simply due to personal animosity.

The US president has been pushing to arrange a peace summit between the two leaders but his efforts have so far been rebuffed by Moscow.

Asked yesterday why Putin was refusing to meet Zelensky, Trump appeared once again to sympathise with the Russian leader.

“Because he doesn’t like him,” Trump said, adding: “I have people I don’t like, I don’t like to meet with them.”

Trump added that there could be consequences if Putin and Zelensky do not meet soon, though he did not specify what those would be.

Ukrainian forces have said that Russian troops have crossed into Ukraine’s eastern industrial region of Dnipropetrovsk.

The Russian military seeks to establish a foothold in the region, Viktor Trehubov, of the Dnipro Operational-Strategic Group of Troops told the BBC.

“This is the first attack of such a large scale in Dnipropetrovsk region,” he said.

Russia has claimed over the past months that it had entered the area, claims which had not been acknowledged by Kyiv.

Ukrainian open-source researchers said earlier on Tuesday that Russia had captured two villages in Ukraine’s southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region, as Kremlin troops press an offensive amid a stalling diplomatic effort to end the war.

Russian forces now occupy the villages of Zaporizke and Novoheorhiivka, according to DeepState, a group tracking battlefield developments. Moscow’s defence ministry had previously reported capturing both villages.

Ukraine’s military on Tuesday dismissed reports that Russian troops had occupied the villages as false.

“Russians have entered (there) and are attempting to establish a foothold,” Ukrainian military spokesperson Viktor Trehubov told Reuters, referring to Zaporizke and Novoheorhiivka. “Our forces are fighting to maintain their positions.”

US president Donald Trump’s special envoy Keith Kellogg said officials are “working very, very hard” on efforts to end the three-year war between Russia and Ukraine despite a lack of progress in talks.

Mr Kellogg said in Kyiv that officials are “hoping to get to a position where, in the near term, we have, with a lack of a better term, security guarantees” that address Ukraine’s fears of another invasion by Russia in the future.

“That’s a work in progress,” he said of the potential security guarantees, after attending Ukraine’s annual National Prayer Breakfast along with politicians, business leaders and diplomats.

The US has reportedly been blocking Ukraine from using long-range missiles in Russia, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Both US-made Army Tactical Missile Systems (Atacms) and British-produced Storm Shadows depend on US targeting data.

A new review process brought in by Washington in late spring has blocked Ukraine from using Atacms at least one, the report claimed.

In response, Zelensky said Kyiv had recently been using its own weapons and not consulting with Washington over strikes.