British Intelligence Ukraine war map as of Apr. 20

On 18 April 2023, the Kremlin issued a press release on President Putin’s visit to Russian-occupied southern Ukraine. Using the Russian spelling of Ukraine’s Dnipro river, the release described the president as having visited the ‘Dnipr Group of Forces.

This is one of the first references to the existence of a Dnipr Group of Forces (DGF). Russia uses the term ‘group of forces’ in a specific way, indicating a large, task-organised operational formation.

Early in the invasion, the Russian force was organised into groups of forces each aligned to their home military districts in Russia, for example, the Western and Central Groups of Forces.

The existence of an apparently new DGF suggest that the original force organisation has evolved, probably due to heavy losses.

DGF’s mission is likely to defend the southern sector of the occupied zone, and especially the south-western flank which is currently marked by the Dnipro river.