Ukraine admits Russian forces have entered key Dnipropetrovsk region
Ukraine's military has acknowledged that Russian forces are now in the industrial region of Dnipropetrovsk - a region previously spared from fighting.
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Russia had previously claimed in June that its forces had pushed into the area as they attempted to establish a foothold - claims refuted by Kyiv.
Dnipropetrovsk is a key heavy industry region, the second after the Donbas, which is made up of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
Ukrainian battlefield analysts DeepState assessed on Tuesday that Russia now occupies two villages just inside the region, Zaporizke and Novohryhorivka.
However, Ukraine's military has denied this, stating that the military "continues to control" Zaporizke despite Russia's advances and "active hostilities" are ongoing in the area around Novohryhorivka.
In response, Russia's defence ministry released an image claiming to show Russian troops inside Zaporizke as apparent proof of their advances.
It comes as negotiations continue, with officials attempting to strike a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia following Donald Trump's Alaska Summit with Vladimir Putin.
Read More: Trump envoys in Kyiv warn 'Peace still a work in progress'
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Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Russian state media in June that Russian forces were conducting operations in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast as part of efforts to create a so-called "buffer-zone" on Ukrainian territory.
Russian president Vladimir Putin reportedly wants control of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions as part of the conditions to end the war.
Russia already controls 70% of Donetsk and nearly all of Luhansk - and is making costly but steady advances.
Moscow had not previously laid claim to Dnipropetrovsk, which is not one of the five Ukrainian regions – Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Crimea – that Russia has illegally annexed.
Recent Russian territorial gains come as US efforts to end the war seem to be flagging.
Downing Street recently said Mr Putin was blatantly stalling progress, less than a fortnight since the Russian president met with US president Donald Trump in Alaska.