Border breach in Sumy region: Russia turns Hrabovske into outpost and conducts remote mining
Illustrative photo: The Armed Forces of Ukraine prevented the Russian forces from advancing further into Sumy region (Getty Images)
Russian forces continue to fortify in Hrabovske, Sumy region. In particular, the enemy is remotely mining the approaches to the village to prevent counterattacks by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, states Viktor Trehubov, Head of the Communications Department of the Joint Forces Group, during a broadcast on Suspilne.
According to Trehubov, in Hrabovske, the enemy is actively using FPV drones, remotely mining the outskirts, and attempting to build up forces there.
"The Russians moved in, are conducting remote mining to prevent Ukrainian counterattacks. It seems to me that they planned to advance further into the Sumy region, but it didn’t work out. That’s why they are turning Hrabovske into a small outpost, although it is directly on the border," he said.
Trehubov added that the Russian troops tried to "probe" other sections of the border in the Sumy region, some far from Hrabovske. For example, about two weeks ago, there were attempts in the southern border area of the Sumy region, where Russian soldiers tried to push forward aggressively but suffered heavy losses.
Up to 100 Russian soldiers are still in Hrabovske. They mostly hide in local residents’ homes and try to launch FPV drones against Ukrainian troops. The Russian army plans to turn the temporarily occupied village into an outpost.
On December 18, the Russian troops crossed the Ukrainian border near Hrabovske in the Sumy region and abducted local residents, taking them into Russian territory. About 50 civilians were taken, most of whom had previously refused to evacuate deeper into Ukraine.
According to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Russian forces have managed to consolidate their positions in Hrabovske. The enemy group in the village remains unchanged — approximately 100 personnel, mostly regular contract soldiers of a Russian motorized rifle brigade.
In the first days after breaking into Hrabovske, Russian troops tried to advance further into the Sumy region, but all attempts failed. There were also unsuccessful attempts to probe other border sections. Now, the Russian units have settled in and are digging in within the occupied village.
