The Russian occupation of Dnipropetrovsk and Poltava oblasts relate to how in the early phases of the

Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. ...

, there were reported skirmishes between Russian and Ukrainian forces in southern

Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Dnipropetrovsk Oblast ( uk, Дніпропетро́вська о́бласть, translit=Dnipropetrovska oblast), also referred to as Dnipropetrovshchyna ( uk, Дніпропетро́вщина), is an oblast (province) of central-eastern Ukra ...

and northern

Poltava Oblast Poltava Oblast ( uk, Полта́вська о́бласть, translit=Poltavska oblast; also referred to as Poltavshchyna – uk, Полта́вщина, literally 'Poltava Country') is an oblast (province) of central Ukraine. The administrative ...

. This resulted in the

military occupation Military occupation, also known as belligerent occupation or simply occupation, is the effective military control by a ruling power over a territory that is outside of that power's sovereign territory.Eyāl Benveniśtî. The international law ...

of several small villages and towns, spilling over from much larger targets in

Donetsk Donetsk ( , ; uk, Донецьк, translit=Donets'k ; russian: Донецк ), formerly known as Aleksandrovka, Yuzivka (or Hughesovka), Stalin and Stalino (see also: cities' alternative names), is an industrial city in eastern Ukraine loc ...

Sumy Sumy ( uk, Суми ) is a city of regional significance in Ukraine, and the capital of Sumy Oblast. The city is situated on the banks of the Psel River in northeastern Ukraine with a population of according to the 2021 census, making it the 2 ...

, and

Zaporizhzhia Zaporizhzhia ( uk, Запоріжжя) or Zaporozhye (russian: Запорожье) is a city in southeast Ukraine, situated on the banks of the Dnieper River. It is the administrative centre of Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Zaporizhzhia has a popula ...

oblasts.

Dnipropetrovsk Oblast

In 2022, when Russian troops completed the encirclement of Mariupol by securing northern towns, and clashing near

Velyka Novosilka Velyka Novosilka ( uk, Велика Новосілка) is an urban-type settlement in Volnovakha Raion, Donetsk Oblast ( province) of Ukraine. It is the administrative centre of the Velyka Novosilka Raion. Population: . It is also known as Bo ...

, clashes were reported near Ternove, Novomykolaivka, Kalynivske, Berezove, Stepove and Maliivka, all in Synelnykove Raion, bordering Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk Oblasts, partially occupied by Russian forces. Ukrainian forces reported small battles near the Ternove area on 1 March. Other areas such as Novoheorhiivka and Zaporizke were possibly occupied for an unknown period of time. Ukrainian forces claimed to have cleared out Russian troops from the area on 14 March. These areas alongside Nikopol and

Apostolove Apostolove ( , russian: Апо́столово) is a city in Kryvyi Rih Raion, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast (province) of Ukraine. It hosts the administration of Apostolove urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. Population: In 2001, the popula ...

are still regularly shelled. On 16 March, Russian forces spilled over from Kherson Oblast into Hannivka, reportedly occupying it. It was later liberated on 11 May. The southern bank of Marianske, a village located on the bayshores of the

Kakhovka Reservoir The Kakhovka Reservoir (, ''Kakhovs′ke vodoskhovyshche'') is a water reservoir on the Dnieper River in Ukraine. It was created in 1956, when the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant was built. It is one of several reservoirs in the Dnieper rese ...

was also possibly occupied during an unknown time period.

Poltava Oblast

During the battles of Trostianets,

Lebedyn Lebedyn ( uk, Лебеди́н, ) is a city in Sumy Oblast, Ukraine. Lebedyn is located in Sumy Raion. Before July 2020, Lebedyn served as the administrative center of Lebedyn Raion; it was administratively incorporated as a city of oblast sig ...

and

Okhtyrka Okhtyrka ( uk, Охти́рка, ) is a city located in the Sumy Oblast (province) of Ukraine. It is administratively incorporated as a city of oblast significance. The city has also served as the administrative center of the smaller Okhtyrka R ...

, in

Sumy Oblast Sumy Oblast ( uk, Сумська́ о́бласть, translit=Sumska oblast; also referred to as Sumshchyna – uk, Су́мщина) is an oblast (province) in the northeastern part of Ukraine. Population: The oblast was created in its most ...

, skirmishes were reported near the border with Poltava Oblast. Notably, on 27 February 2022, then later on 1 March a Russian tank was reportedly spotted in the

Psel River The Psel (, translit. ''Psyol''; , translit. ''Psel, Ps'ol, Pslo'') is a river, a left tributary of the Dnieper, which flows through Russia and Ukraine. The Psel has a length of and a drainage basin of .Hadiach. On 3 March, Russian troops were reportedly advancing towards

Zinkiv Zinkiv (, ) is a city in Poltava Oblast, Ukraine. It serves as the administrative center of Zinkiv Raion. Population: Gallery File:Будинок (вул. Леніна, Зіньків).JPG, Modern architecture Modern architecture, or mode ...

and occupied Pirky, but were repelled. On 4 March, a Russian convoy was captured travelling to Hadiach and through

Vepryk Vepryk ( ua, Веприк) is a selo in Ukraine, in Fastiv Raion of Kyiv Oblast. It belongs to Fastiv urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. The village has a population of 1,053. It is famous for being the place where Ukrainian compo ...

. Subsequently, after clashes near Hadiach where hunters used rifles and

machine gun A machine gun is a fully automatic, rifled autoloading firearm designed for sustained direct fire with rifle cartridges. Other automatic firearms such as automatic shotguns and automatic rifles (including assault rifles and battle rifl ...

s, Russian troops were repelled. This was labelled as the "Hadiach Safari". Some villages were occupied during this time, such as

Bobryk Bobryk ( uk, Бобрик) is a village in Myrhorod Raion, Poltava Oblast, Ukraine. It belongs to Velyki Budyshcha rural hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. It has a population of 791. The local self-government body is the Bobrytska village ...

, and central parts of Verpryk.

Status

As of 2023, Russian forces have no plans to advance in either of these

Oblasts An oblast (; ; Cyrillic (in most languages, including Russian and Ukrainian): , Bulgarian: ) is a type of administrative division of Belarus, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Ukraine, as well as the Soviet Union and the Kingdom ...

, and cannot geographically invade Poltava Oblast without attacking

Chernihiv Chernihiv ( uk, Черні́гів, , russian: Черни́гов, ; pl, Czernihów, ; la, Czernihovia), is a city and municipality in northern Ukraine, which serves as the administrative center of Chernihiv Oblast and Chernihiv Raion within ...

Kharkiv Oblast Kharkiv Oblast ( uk, Харківська́ о́бласть, translit=Kharkivska oblast), also referred to as Kharkivshchyna ( uk, Ха́рківщина), is an oblast (province) of eastern Ukraine. The oblast borders Russia to the north, Luhan ...

first. Russian forces positioned in

Enerhodar Enerhodar (; uk, Енергода́р, translit=Enerhodár, , ; russian: Энергодар, translit=Energodar, literally 'energy giver') is a city and municipality in the north-western part of the Zaporizhzhia Oblast in Ukraine, currently unde ...

, near

and formerly near Arkhanhelske continue to shell unoccupied areas and conduct missile strikes on large cities, notably in

Nikopol Raion Nikopol Raion ( uk, Нікопольський район, Nikopolskyi raion) is an administrative subdivision ('' raion'') of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Ukraine, with the administrative center in the city of Nikopol. Population: . On 18 July 2020 ...

, including Nikopol,

Marhanets Marhanets ( uk, Марганець, ; russian: Марганец, ; ) is a city in Nikopol Raion of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast that was established in 1938 in southern Ukraine. It was established in place of the village of Horodyshche, which contained ...

and

Tomakivka Tomakivka ( uk, Томаківка, russian: Томаковка) is an urban-type settlement in Nikopol Raion, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast (province) of southeastern Ukraine. It is located on confluence of Tomakivka and Kyslichuvata rivers. Tomakivka ho ...

. On 27 June 2022, Russia struck

Kremenchuk Kremenchuk (; uk, Кременчу́к, Kremenchuk ) is an industrial city in central Ukraine which stands on the banks of the Dnipro Dnipro, previously called Dnipropetrovsk from 1926 until May 2016, is Ukraine's fourth-largest city, w ...

, Poltava Oblast with two anti-ship missiles and destroyed a busy shopping mall causing 80 casualties, an attack subject to multiple contradictory Russian disinformation stories that have been debunked. Later on the Russian strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure, missiles struck all across the country, including in Poltava and Dnipropetrovsk Oblasts. Missiles hit Kremenchuk once again, as well as

Poltava Poltava (, ; uk, Полтава ) is a city located on the Vorskla River in central Ukraine. It is the capital city of the Poltava Oblast (province) and of the surrounding Poltava Raion (district) of the oblast. Poltava is administrative ...

and

Kryvyi Rih Kryvyi Rih ( uk, Криви́й Ріг , lit. "Curved Bend" or "Crooked Horn"), also known as Krivoy Rog ( Russian: Кривой Рог) is the largest city in central Ukraine, the 7th most populous city in Ukraine and the 2nd largest by area. ...

and

Dnipro Dnipro, previously called Dnipropetrovsk from 1926 until May 2016, is Ukraine's fourth-largest city, with about one million inhabitants. It is located in the eastern part of Ukraine, southeast of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on the Dnieper R ...

in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. On 14 January 2023, a missile hit Dnipro once again, in the Sobornyi District, destroying 236 apartments and damaging a building. Up to 46 people were killed.

Control of cities