Ukraine’s top general, Oleksandr Syrskyi, has announced that Ukrainian forces have successfully stopped Russian advances in the northeastern border region of Sumy.
During a visit to the front line on Thursday, Syrskyi stated that the line of combat had been “stabilised” and the Russian summer offensive in the area had been “choked off”. However, he emphasized the urgent need for additional fortifications in the region.
Syrskyi’s comments corroborate recent statements by Ukrainian officials suggesting a decline in Russian pressure on the region. Nevertheless, Border Guard spokesperson Andriy Demchenko cautioned that the situation remains “volatile”.
The Sumy region shares a border with Russia’s Kursk region, which was partially seized and occupied by Ukrainian forces in a surprise offensive last year. Following the incursion, President Vladimir Putin ordered the creation of “security buffer zones” along the border to provide additional support to areas in Russia bordering Ukraine’s Kharkiv, Sumy, and Chernihiv regions.
In late May, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed that approximately 50,000 Russian troops were concentrated along the border, planning to establish a 10km buffer zone.
Syrskyi acknowledged criticism regarding the lack of fortifications in some areas of Sumy and assured that “additional fortifications, the establishment of ‘kill zones’, the construction of anti-drone corridors to protect our soldiers and ensure more reliable logistics for our troops are obvious tasks that are being carried out”. However, he conceded that these improvements need to be implemented more efficiently.
The situation in Sumy is critical, with Moscow claiming to have captured several villages while subjecting the city to heavy missile strikes, resulting in dozens of casualties.
When asked about the summer offensive, Putin stated that Russia didn’t “have the goal of capturing Sumy, but I don’t rule it out” and claimed Russian forces had already established an 8-12km buffer zone.
Meanwhile, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced that European and Canadian allies pledged €35 billion to Ukraine.
US President Donald Trump expressed consideration for supplying Kyiv with US Patriot air defense missiles to counter Russian strikes, stating, “We’re going to see if we could make some available. You know, they’re very hard to get”. Despite this, there remains concern in Kyiv about Trump’s commitment to the Ukrainian cause and his volatile relationship with Zelensky.