Kill zone: Why Russia claims 'border breach' in Sumy region and current situation here
Photo: Russian troops are trying to enter Sumy region, but the Armed Forces of Ukraine are preventing them from doing so (Getty Images)
While fighting continues in the Kursk region, the Russian army is attempting to break through the border in the Sumy region. Using small assault groups, the Russians are trying to push deeper into Ukraine, particularly near the village of Novenke, and gain a foothold.
Read in the material by RBC-Ukraine the latest news about Russian forces' attempts to break through the border in the Sumy region and the current situation there.
What Russians say about 'border breakthrough' in Sumy region
In recent weeks, the Russian army has intensified its offensive in the Kursk direction, attempting to push Ukrainian forces out of the region, where they have been stationed since August 2024.
As part of this, the enemy continues to carry out raids along the international border between the Sumy and Kursk regions. In particular, Russia is sending its assault troops in small groups towards the village of Novenke (Sumy region), which is located on the border, where the enemy is attempting to gain a foothold.
As Volodymyr Artiukh, Head of the Sumy Regional Military Administration, recently reported there are currently no Russian military units on the territory of the region, and isolated groups are being destroyed. The enemy is conducting intensive shelling of Sumy, increasingly using drones.
"To date, no Russian units have entered the region. There are attempts by the enemy to enter Sumy with small groups, but thanks to our Armed Forces and defense forces, using aviation and missile strikes, these groups are being destroyed," Artiukh said.
Meanwhile, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, who visited the Kursk region for the first time during the seven-month operation by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, ordered his terrorist troops to "expel Ukrainian forces from the Kursk region as soon as possible" and "consider" the creation of a so-called "security zone" along the Russian border in the Kursk region.
In addition, the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov, reported to Putin that "on certain fronts, the Russian army" supposedly left the Kursk border, allegedly "crossed the state border and entered the Sumy region."
Map: The area of the Ukrainian bridgehead in Kursk has recently shrunk (deepstatemap)
Current situation: Comments from State Border Guard Service of Ukraine
According to the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, the situation the in Sumy region, along the section where Ukrainian Defense Forces are conducting operations in the Kursk region, has not changed significantly.
"On the left flank, if you look at this area, the enemy is still trying to accumulate forces and cross our border to gain a foothold. This concerns the direction of the settlement of Novenke," said Spokesperson of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine Andriy Demchenko in a comment to RBC-Ukraine.
According to Demchenko, the Russian force's goal is likely to encircle Ukrainian units in the Kursk region or cut off logistical routes. However, the enemy has not been able to establish a foothold, as the section of the border towards Novenke does not allow them to use equipment that could break through the Ukrainian border.
"That’s why they (the Russians - ed.) resorted to the tactic of using small assault groups. These are essentially a few individuals; sometimes a group may consist of up to 5 soldiers, with the task of crossing our border, gaining a foothold, accumulating forces, and expanding the combat zone," Demchenko said.
The spokesperson emphasized that Ukrainian soldiers are resisting the occupiers, not allowing them to establish a foothold.
"Basically, this area is a kill zone. The Russians run in and die because they are under fire. And the enemy cannot achieve its goal. This is something the enemy has repeatedly tried on the left flank," Demchenko noted.
The military reminded that when the Ukrainian bridgehead in the Kursk region was larger, about three weeks ago, there was an attempt by Russian troops to break through the border in the direction of the settlement of Zhuravka. At that time, the enemy even used columns of equipment heading towards the Ukrainian border. However, they were destroyed.
Photo: The settlements of Zhuravka and Novenke (Sumy region), where the enemy is trying to break through (deepstatemap)
The spokesperson also refuted Russian claims from yesterday that their troops had allegedly crossed the Ukrainian border in the Sumy region.
"In fact, there has been no 'border breakthrough,' as it may be interpreted in Russia. What happened is that individual soldiers crossed the border, tried to establish a foothold on our territory, and then died – that is not a border breakthrough. Essentially, the entire state border with Russia can be considered the frontline. The enemy may try to break through anywhere, using various groups, including sabotage and reconnaissance groups," Demchenko concluded.
As previously reported, the situation in the Kursk region continues to deteriorate. The Russian army, in an attempt to cut off Ukrainian forces’ logistics, has advanced towards the important Sumi-Sudzha highway and narrowed the width of the Ukrainian bridgehead. To find out more about the current situation here, the reasons for the escalation, and whether the Ukrainian Armed Forces will maintain the "buffer", read our article on the topic.
Sources: exclusive comment from Spokesperson of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine Andriy Demchenko, DeepState maps, statement from the Head of the Sumy Regional Military Administration Volodymyr Artiukh, etc.
