The Dnieper River is a major river in Eastern Europe that flows through Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia. The city of Kiev is located on the banks of the Dnieper River and is the capital of Ukraine. It has a population of over 2.8 million people and is the largest city in Ukraine. Smolensk is a city located in western Russia on the banks of the Dnieper River. It has a population of over 320, 000 people and is an important industrial center. Slavs are an ethnic group that inhabit Eastern Europe and Central Asia. They are the largest ethnic group in Europe and have a long history in the region.