New territory reported liberated as Ukraine makes fresh offensive push on southern front
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Ukrainian forces have launched new counterattacks along the southern front line, clearing and pushing back Russian troops from eastern Dnipropetrovsk and western Donetsk oblasts, the open-source mapping group Deep State reported on May 29.
The fresh attacking effort comes three months after Ukrainian forces launched counteroffensive operations in adjacent areas of Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, clearing large areas and improving Ukraine's positions in the area.
According to the May 29 update of Deep State's map, the village of Novoselivka in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast has been liberated from Russian occupation, while areas previously marked as Russian-controlled around the villages of Zelenyi Hai and Tolstoi are now contested.
In an effort to preserve operational security, Deep State's updates normally come several days after shifts in territory occur.
The attacks — like those that took place nearby in February and March — are led by Ukraine's Air Assault Forces, a senior Ukrainian military officer familiar with the matter confirmed to the Kyiv Independent.
Kyiv has not yet commented officially on the offensive operations, and the Kyiv Independent is not able to independently verify the gains made on the ground in the early stages of the operation.
Flat and sparsely-populated, this area of the southern front line was captured by Russian forces in autumn 2025. Advancing Russian troops exploited weaknesses in the Ukrainian defense to enter Dnipropetrovsk Oblast for the first time in the full-scale war.
In February 2026, Ukrainian units were able to take advantage of the disruption in Russian communications triggered by the cut-off of Starlink satellite internet. Led by the Air Assault and Assault Forces, Ukraine pushed forward along a wide front in eastern Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts.
According to President Volodymyr Zelensky, over 435 square kilometers were liberated in the so-called "counteroffensive," although the reality on the ground is much more difficult to judge in conditions of a deepening, drone-saturated kill zone.
