Nearly week after Putin's statement: Situation on border with Kursk region

Situation in Sumy region

According to Demchenko, in the first place, there is a large number of attacks using drones and artillery.

"The Sumy direction also sees activity from enemy aviation, which is essentially dropping guided aerial bombs," Demchenko said.

According to the Spokesperson, through such actions the enemy is trying to destroy Ukrainian defenders' positions but is also deliberately striking populated areas, effectively continuing to terrorize the civilian population.

Russian sabotage group activity in Sumy region

As for enemy sabotage activity, it has not changed, but in addition to attempts by Russian sabotage and reconnaissance groups to infiltrate, the enemy is also employing tactics in certain directions, particularly near the settlements of Basivka and Zhuravka.

"This includes the use of small assault groups that enter Ukrainian territory both on foot and by attempting to ride in on quad bikes in order to amass inside our country and expand the combat zone deeper into our territory," the Spokesperson of the State Border Guard Service explained.

However, once again, according to him, units of the Defense Forces - both border guards and the Armed Forces of Ukraine - are using all available weapons to destroy these groups, yet the enemy does not take its losses into account.

"And continues to send in these groups and use such tactics. At the moment, the enemy is not using equipment to breach our border," said Demchenko.

Russians building up forces in Kursk region

Speaking about the Kursk region, the Spokesperson noted that the enemy began building up forces - both personnel and equipment - as early as last year.

"And these forces were used against the Defense Forces of Ukraine, which were conducting operations within the Kursk region. And now, from among these forces and means, the enemy employs its resources to carry out the tactics of small assault groups," Demchenko said.

However, as Demchenko added, possibly due to a lack of equipment, or possibly because the enemy is saving it for future actions, no equipment is currently being used in the Sumy direction.

Territory controlled by Ukrainian forces in Kursk region

As of April 26, Ukraine's Defense Forces controlled 31.96 square kilometers of territory in the Kursk region: 9.88 square kilometers near Basivka, and 21.08 square kilometers near Huyevo.

By the morning of April 27, the territory under Ukrainian control had decreased to 5 square kilometers and 12.67 square kilometers respectively. According to the Deep State map as of May 2, the size of the territory under Ukrainian control has not changed. Meanwhile, the "gray" zone has increased.

'Liberation' of Kursk region

On April 26, the Kremlin, through Vladimir Putin, claimed the alleged "liberation" of the Kursk region. Putin announced what he called a "complete defeat of the enemy in the Kursk border area."

According to Putin, on April 26 Russian troops allegedly took the last settlement in the region - the village of Hornal near the Ukrainian border. In addition, according to the Kremlin, the Ukrainian Armed Forces allegedly lost at least 75,000 troops and more than 400 tanks in the fighting in that direction.

However, according to the Deep State map on April 26, over 30 square kilometers of Russian territory was still under the control of Ukrainian forces. On the same day, Ukraine's General Staff denied Kremlin claims about the "liberation" of the Kursk region. Ukrainian forces emphasized that the occupiers were "presenting wishful thinking as reality."

Furthermore, Russia fabricated a fake story following the "liberation" of the Kursk region. The Center for Countering Disinformation explained its connection to the atrocities committed by the occupiers in Bucha in 2022.