Sumy Regional military administration spoke about Russia's efforts near Sumy

According to the head of the Sumy Regional Military Administration, Volodymyr Artyukh, during a meeting of the Defense Council, the intensity of enemy assault actions on the region's border has increased by 30% over the past week.

The official reported that in the last seven days, Russian occupiers carried out 47 assault actions on Ukrainian defense positions in the Sumy region. It is noted that the enemy is primarily concentrating its efforts in the directions of the settlements of Zhuravka and Basivka.

"The enemy is focused on carrying out a counteroffensive operation in the Kursk region, but our military is giving a worthy response to the enemy and inflicting significant losses on them," said the head of the Regional Military Administration.

He also noted that there has been a significant increase in the intensity of the use of aviation by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which is very important for supporting the Security and Defense Forces in destroying the enemy's forces and equipment.

Furthermore, the official reported that the Russian forces continue to carry out shelling along the Sumy region's border, targeting civilian and critical infrastructure.

As Artyukh mentioned, this time the main targets of the enemy were food industry enterprises (bread and meat processing plants, dairy factories, etc.).

According to the Regional Military Administration, the enemy launched 307 guided air bombs over the Sumy region, with the greatest damage caused by Russian KABs to the communities of Krasnopil, Myropil, Yunakiv, Khotyn, and Velykopysariv.

Enemy activity near Sumy region

In mid-March, spokesperson for the Siversk operational and tactical military group, Vadym Mysnyk, reported that a large number of Russian military units, previously involved in the Kursk operation, were observed advancing towards the border near Sumy region.

Before this, the Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) of Ukraine had reported that Russian occupiers were amassing forces for more active actions along the Sumy region's border. However, this does not indicate an imminent offensive on Sumy itself.

Additionally, according to the State Border Guard Service, enemy reconnaissance and sabotage groups continue to attempt to cross the Ukrainian border in the Sumy region, as well as mine the terrain.

On March 27, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that intelligence had detected preparations by Russia for a new offensive, with the threat focused on the Sumy, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhzhia regions.

Recently, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, confirmed that Russia had effectively begun a new offensive on the Kharkiv and Sumy regions. Specifically, the number of offensive actions by the enemy has almost doubled in recent weeks. According to the general, the Russians are again attempting to create a buffer zone on the territory of Kharkiv, Sumy, and Chernihiv regions.

On April 9, President Zelenskyy reported that the actions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the Belgorod axis had thwarted Russian plans for an offensive on the Kharkiv and Sumy regions. He explained that the enemy failed to establish a powerful offensive strike force.

Additionally, in a report published on April 10, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) experts assessed the Russian army's capabilities for an offensive on Sumy. The analysts also highlighted several key points.

In particular, the ISW noted that the Russian military command is likely trying to establish a buffer zone along the international border in the Sumy region. However, Russian commanders may intend to push further into the Sumy region and toward the city of Sumy in the future.