10 Russian brigades are advancing at lightning speed into Dnipropetrovsk

10 Russian brigades are advancing at lightning speed into Dnipropetrovsk

The Russian Eastern Group of Forces (Vostok) has launched a fierce offensive into Dnipropetrovsk province, capturing at least ten villages, while Ukrainian forces remain on the defensive.

To understand the scale of this push, one must consider the strength of the Russian Eastern Group (RFAF). Since securing southern Donetsk, this formation has gained extensive battlefield experience and is now capable of conducting large-scale offensive operations.

The 29th Army contributes an infantry brigade and a mechanized regiment. The 36th Army is even stronger, fielding a tank brigade, a mechanized brigade, and the 336th Naval Infantry Brigade. Meanwhile, the 5th Army includes a mechanized infantry division alongside two additional mechanized brigades. Supporting them, the 35th Army has also deployed the 69th Support Brigade from Polohy, although its two primary mechanized brigades remain stationed there.

In total, the Eastern Group’s spearhead consists of one mechanized infantry division, one tank brigade, one naval infantry brigade, one support brigade, four mechanized brigades, and a mechanized regiment—roughly equivalent in combat effectiveness to ten full brigades.

Some may argue that “ten brigades” is not an overwhelming force. However, these core units are backed by comprehensive strategic-level support, together with the auxiliary forces of three entire armies. This ensures plentiful logistics and firepower, eliminating shortages in manpower or equipment.

More importantly, the RFAF has been winning battles in the area and continues advancing. Victories yield two major advantages. First, they preserve combat strength; victorious units tend to remain well-organized and suffer less attrition than those forced into costly, bloody defenses. Second, the number of combat veterans within these units increases, giving Russia a cadre of seasoned fighters far more reliable than fresh conscripts.

Across the lines, Ukraine’s 20th Corps may muster more than ten brigades, yet nearly a third of these are Territorial Defense units. Their effectiveness is considerably lower than that of regular Russian formations. Many of the remaining Ukrainian brigades are understrength, previously mauled in earlier battles and not yet replenished with men or equipment. Simply put, Ukraine’s force quality and combat resilience in this sector are markedly inferior.

With Ukraine stretched thin, Russia has pushed directly into Dnipropetrovsk province. They avoided crossing the Vovcha River near southern Donetsk, since even this modest waterway would require heavy manpower and pontoon bridging. Instead, they advanced west of Shevchenko village. While Shevchenko itself holds little intrinsic value, its eastern outskirts conceal a far greater prize: a lithium belt with reserves estimated in the tens of millions of tons. Given the strategic importance of lithium for batteries and renewable energy, Moscow is determined to secure these deposits.

Because the deposits lie only five kilometers from the Dnipropetrovsk border, Russia cannot rely solely on defensive positions in Donetsk. Any Ukrainian counterattack could quickly threaten the mines. Thus, Russian forces are pushing westward to create a security buffer.

Their approach is also tactically shrewd. By striking from the south, they avoid river obstacles that would hinder Ukrainian reinforcements. So far, Russia has seized ten villages inside Dnipropetrovsk, stretching across a 15 km north-south axis and 5–10 km east-west. Though sparsely populated, these settlements serve as forward strongpoints. Ukrainian troops, unwilling but unable to hold them, have been forced to retreat.

The offensive has also extended southwest into Zaporizhzhia, where four additional villages on the Donetsk–Dnipro–Zaporizhzhia border have fallen under Russian control. In total, Vostok forces have secured fourteen villages, linking the frontlines of three provinces. This advance not only consolidates Russian territorial gains but also ensures the protection of vital lithium resources. For Moscow, it represents a highly effective and strategic move