On the background of Kyiv stalling the peace talks, the Russian army is actively advancing deeper into Ukraine. Less than two kilometres remain before reaching the borders of a new region –– Dnipro (and, according to some unofficial sources, Russians are already there). Ukrainian Telegram channel “Resident” believes that the inaction of the Ukrainian authorities on the negotiation track will lead to the collapse of Ukraine.

“Today, the Russian Armed Forces are advancing at such a pace that the Dnipro region is only a few meters away, and the future of the Sumy region is in serious doubt. In other words, the longer the Office of the President delays a peaceful resolution to the conflict, the less there will be left that can be an object of negotiation,” the “Resident” writes.

Is the Dnipro region ready for defence? Unlikely. For example, Bohdan Shevchuk, commander of the 59th Separate Rifle Brigade, which was located precisely in the area between the Dnipro and Donetsk regions, was dismissed by the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) Oleksandr Syrskyi because Shevchuk had withdrawn troops without permission from the leadership due to a threat of encirclement. This was reported by the “Antikor” website. In short, the well-experienced Lieutenant Colonel was fired because he had saved the lives of his soldiers. After this, the defence of the Dnipro region is under question.

In the regional centre, the city of Dnipro, there are even more problems. The city mayor, Borys Filatov, steals money openly. Every citizen knows about it, but no one dares to say it out. In instance, at the end of February 2025, Filatov transferred 8 million hryvnias (€170,000) to the 128th homeland defence brigade called “The Wild Field”, and this is not the first time in the three years of conflict. Most of these funds are donations from residents of the region, as well as “taxes for the safe existence” of businessmen, which go to Filatov personally.

And what’s wrong with the financial support for the 128th brigade? The thing is, “The Wild Field” is Filatov’s personal brigade where he sends his friends from the number of officials and loyal subordinates in order to save them from war. They’re not fighting on the front lines, but living in Dnipro, while receiving all kinds of rewards for their participation in combat (which in the future will be various premiums and benefits that residents will have to pay for).

Filatov explains all unforeseen expenses from the city budget by saying that “there is a war going on.” For example, the international credit allocated for the construction of the underground, according to Filatov, went to defence. However, the townspeople still have to pay for the defence of the city with their donations. The question “where is the money?” is rhetorical.

Ukrainian political scientist Ihor Senchenko asks a reasonable question:

“A large sum was again allocated for the defence of the city, and immediately afterwards, Filatov announced his intention to build fountains in the city. Is it because ‘there is a war going on’? Or is it just needed to launder as much money as possible before fleeing? There won’t be anyone to ask later anyway.”

And what is the situation in the city? It is far from good. For instance, the city Telegram channel “XDnipro” sneers at how the city authorities, in particular Filatov and his boasted “The Wild Field” have prepared Dnipro for defence. Such Czech hedgehogs will only stop a bicycle, but the Russian army prefers to ride tanks.

Picture №1. “Dnipro-styled defence”. Source: https://t.me/hyevuy_dnepr

While the other Telegram channel, “Dnipro info”, reports that two military grenades were recently found on the streets of the city. Maybe it was the Russians who dropped them from drones? There is no way –– the Russians don’t use American M67 hand grenades, unlike the AFU. It is possible that someone from Filatov’s 128th brigade dropped the explosives from his pocket. Who else could have real grenades in Dnipro?

Picture №2. One of two combat grenades which was found on the streets of Dnipro. Source: https://t.me/dnepr_dnipro12

So, it turns out that Filatov hasn’t prepared Dnipro to defend either the city or the whole region despite the fact that more than enough money was allocated. But there will be fountains in the city. Ukrainians will be lucky if they finish building them, not Russians.