Ukrainian military comments on situation in Sumy region amid border breach by Russians
Photo: Andriy Demchenko, spokesperson for the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine (mediacenter.org.ua)
After breaking through in Hrabovske, Russians are trying to advance deeper into the Sumy region, but they are not succeeding, according to Andrii Demchenko, spokesperson for the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.
Demchenko notes that Hrabovske in the Krasnopillia community is located directly on the border. And there are quite a few such settlements.
"As for the Russians who have entered there and are trying to advance deeper into the territory of our state, they are not succeeding because all components of the Ukrainian Defense Forces and units of the Armed Forces, as well as units of the State Border Service, are preventing the Russians from doing so, using both artillery and unmanned aerial vehicles," he says.
However, according to the spokesperson, when Russians began to carry out such actions, Ukrainian soldiers had to retreat from some positions.
"At the same time, I would like to note once again that Russia is unable to advance beyond the boundaries of this settlement, and it is being subjected to fire damage, while the positions held by our military personnel are being maintained," Demchenko emphasizes.
He adds that within the Khotyn and Yunakivka communities of the Sumy region, Russia is also showing some activity in attempting to attack the positions of Ukrainian soldiers.
"But the activity is now much less, and Russinas are also unable to achieve any results," the spokesperson says.
Russian breakthrough in Hrabovske
On December 18, Russian troops entered the village of Hrabovske in the Sumy region, which is located directly on the border with Russia, and took about 50 residents to Russia. Most of them were elderly people who refused to be evacuated.
Russian troops first gathered people in a local church, then transported them to Russia within a few hours. 13 Ukrainian soldiers were also captured along with civilians.
The Verkhovna Rada's Human Rights Commissioner, Dmytro Lubinets, stressed that such actions are a gross violation of international humanitarian law. The Russians effectively kidnapped people and took them to their territory. Ukraine has demanded that the Russians return the kidnapped civilians.
According to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Russians have managed to gain a foothold in Hrabovske. There are now up to a hundred Russians there: they are not the so-called elite of the Russian army, but they are not yesterday's drafted, who do not know how to fight either. Fighting is currently ongoing in the settlement.
