Ukraine blocks Russian push to build foothold for attack on Sumy
Illustrative photo: Defense forces thwarted Russian attempts to create a bridgehead for an offensive on Sumy (GettyImages)
In the North Slobozhanskyi direction, in the area of responsibility of the 78th Separate Air Assault Brigade of the 7th Air Assault Corps, Russia is attempting to create a foothold for an offensive toward the settlement of Khotin, according to the 7th Air Assault Corps.
“Potentially, this poses a threat of an advance toward the city of Sumy. All such attempts are detected on time and thwarted,” the military said.
In this direction, the enemy periodically carries out assault actions and increases the activity of unmanned systems in certain areas. At the same time, enemy infantry avoids frontal attacks, trying to operate via the flanks.
“Our active defense and constant reconnaissance allow us to keep the situation under full control,” the statement said.
Situation in the Sumy region
On December 18, Russian troops crossed the state border near the village of Hrabovske in the Sumy region and transported about 50 local residents to Russian territory. They had previously refused evacuation deeper into Ukraine.
According to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Russians managed to root in Hrabovske. There are currently about a hundred Russian servicemen there — contract soldiers of a motorized rifle brigade.
Initial attempts to advance further into the region and probe other sections of the border ended unsuccessfully for the enemy, after which the Russians focused on fortifying positions in the captured village.
As Viktor Trehubov, head of the Communications Department of the Joint Forces grouping reported, the Russians continue to fortify their positions and remotely mine the approaches to Hrabovske, trying to make counterattacks from the Armed Forces of Ukraine impossible.
The Communications Center of the Kursk grouping of troops emphasized that the village of Andriivka in the Sumy region is under the full control of Ukraine’s Defense Forces, and information about its capture does not correspond to reality.
