Russia's new offensive in Ukraine is far from a success – Zelenskyy
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy commented on Russia's new military offensive, saying Russian forces are "not particularly successful, to put it mildly." He made the remark in an interview with the German outlet Bild.
According to him, Russia has failed to achieve any significant gains on the front line, and the idea of its victory is merely a product of Russian propaganda.
He emphasized that Ukraine's Defense Forces have been holding off the offensive for nearly three weeks, and despite all efforts, Russian troops have made no substantial progress.
"The idea that Russia is winning the war is a Russian narrative. Their army has been trying to push forward for almost three weeks. The Russians are not particularly successful, to put it mildly," the president said.
Russia advances on Sumy region
Back in late March, President Zelenskyy stated that Russia was preparing a new offensive targeting the Sumy and Kharkiv regions. In April, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, confirmed that the offensive had already begun.
In May, Zelenskyy reported that Russia was massing troops near the Sumy axis. According to him, more than 50,000 Russian troops are now concentrated in the area.
Meanwhile, Mykhailo Melnyk, head of Sumy Regional Military Administration, urged residents of the border towns of Bilopillia and Vorozhba to evacuate due to the heightened risk of hostilities.
At the same time, Russian leader Vladimir Putin publicly announced the creation of a so-called security buffer zone along the border with Ukraine, referencing the Kursk, Belgorod, and Bryansk regions.
For more details on the escalation near Ukraine's Sumy border, read the full report by RBC-Ukraine.
