Russia claimed Sunday that its forces are for the first time pushing into the central Ukrainian region of Dnipropetrovsk, an area it has been trying to reach for months, in a move that could create new problems for Kyiv’s much-stretched forces.

The Russian Ministry of Defense said soldiers have advanced into the Dnipropetrovsk region in south-central Ukraine.

Russian forces on Wednesday advanced further into Ukraine's northern region of Sumy, threatening the regional capital after taking more than 150 square km (58 sq miles) of the area in less than two weeks,