Russia shifts tactics in attacks on Sumy region: Ukraine prepares new defense measures
Photo: Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov (t.me/zedigital)
The teams of Ukraine's Defense Ministry and the Ukrainian Air Force worked in the Sumy region this week. Decisions have been made to strengthen the protection of civilians and critical infrastructure, according to a statement by Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.
Fedorov visits the Sumy region
According to the minister, the main goal of the visit was to develop solutions to strengthen air defenses amid ongoing Russian attacks. To that end, a coordination meeting was held with the head of the Sumy Regional Military Administration, military officials, and representatives of relevant services to discuss protecting the region's airspace.
Border security situation
"Since the beginning of the year, the Sumy region has been under unprecedented fire pressure," Fedorov said.
According to him, Russia has carried out more than 12,000 strikes on the region using:
- Missiles,
- Guided aerial bombs,
- Various types of attack drones,
- FPV drones.
As a result of the attacks, 122 civilians have been killed and more than 1,200 people injured, including many children.
More than 2,600 residential buildings, schools, hospitals, energy facilities, and civilian infrastructure sites have been damaged or destroyed, Fedorov noted.
"Since June, the security situation in the region has deteriorated significantly. The enemy has changed its tactics and expanded the use of Molniya-type UAVs, fiber-optic FPV drones, attack drones, and guided aerial bombs. Russia's goal is to terrorize people and make life unbearable in border regions," the minister said.
Measures planned to protect the Sumy region
Following the meeting, Mykhailo Fedorov said a package of measures had been developed to strengthen the region's air defenses.
The authorities plan to improve:
- The effectiveness of air defense systems,
- Capabilities to counter attack drones and aerial threats,
- The protection of critical infrastructure, logistics networks, and civilians.
The defense minister added that some of the measures cannot be disclosed for security reasons. However, they are aimed at significantly strengthening the protection of the Sumy region.
Fedorov also pledged that additional decisions would soon be made to improve coordination among government agencies responsible for protecting frontline regions from Russian attacks.
Authorities in Sumy will also revise the public alert system for Russian attacks. In particular, residents will receive additional warnings in the event of a threat from guided aerial bombs.
On the evening of July 3, Russian forces launched a large-scale attack on Sumy using drones and guided aerial bombs. Three people were killed, and 27 others were injured.
