The war in Ukraine has entered a more perilous chapter. For the first time since the invasion began, Russia has managed to breach into Dnipropetrovsk, one of Ukraine’s most significant industrial regions. The incursion may appear limited, confined to disputed villages near the border, but its implications reach far beyond the battlefield. Dnipropetrovsk is not just another territorial marker. It is Ukraine’s second-largest industrial hub after the Donbas, a region whose factories and energy infrastructure form the backbone of the country’s economic resilience.

A Russian foothold here threatens not just military lines but also the industrial capacity that sustains Ukraine’s war effort. That is precisely why even marginal advances, measured in a handful of villages, carry such weight. Russia has not formally annexed Dnipropetrovsk, unlike Donetsk, Luhansk, and other occupied territories. Yet, Moscow’s pattern of behaviour is clear: it pushes incrementally into........

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