Ukrainian forces have stabilized the situation in Sumy Oblast and pushed the Russian army further away from Sumy, the region's capital, Ukraine's General Staff reported on June 30.Moscow launched its new summer campaign in May, aiming to push deeper into Ukraine's northeastern and eastern regions and disregarding Kyiv's calls for an unconditional ceasefire.Ukrainian troops advanced near the village of Oleksiivka, located less than 30 kilometers (18 miles) from the city of Sumy, and liberated the
Ukrainian forces have stabilized the situation in Sumy Oblast and pushed the Russian army further away from Sumy, the region's capital, Ukraine's General Staff reported on June 30.
Moscow launched its new summer campaign in May, aiming to push deeper into Ukraine's northeastern and eastern regions and disregarding Kyiv's calls for an unconditional ceasefire.
Ukrainian troops advanced near the village of Oleksiivka, located less than 30 kilometers (18 miles) from the city of Sumy, and liberated the village of Andriivka, which had been captured by Russia in early June, the statement read.
In the meantime, Ukraine also stopped the Russian advance along the Yunakivka-Yablunivka-Novomykolayivka-Oleksiivka-Kindrativka line and the border with Russia near Kursk Oblast, according to the General Staff.
A map of Ukraine's Sumy Oblast (Nizar al-Rifal/The Kyiv Independent)
Russia has deployed its best brigades on this section of the front line and is using long-range artillery, aircraft, and attack drones, the General Staff said.
President Volodymyr Zelensky also said on June 30 that Ukrainian troops had halted the Russian offensive in Sumy Oblast.
"The Russian plan for an offensive in Sumy Oblast is not succeeding — thanks to every Ukrainian unit operating in the area," Zelensky said after a meeting with the military leadership and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.
The Russian offensive's goal is to reach the administrative borders of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts in the east and create a buffer zone in the border areas of Sumy and Kharkiv oblasts, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi told journalists on June 21.
Russian forces are also attempting to fully oust Ukrainian troops from Russia's Kursk and Belgorod oblasts.
Ukraine launched a cross-border offensive into Kursk Oblast — bordering Ukraine's Sumy Oblast — last August, initially seizing 1,300 square kilometers (500 square miles) but losing the vast majority of this territory in a Russian counteroffensive earlier this year.
Moscow initially declared that it had fully liberated the region on April 26, but this claim was rejected by Ukraine and later disputed by Russian officials themselves.
Ukraine has halted Russia's advance in Sumy Oblast, stabilizing the front line and blunting the momentum of Moscow's summer offensive, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on June 26."Based on the results of May and June, we can say that this year's wave of the enemy's summer offensive from Russian territory is faltering," Syrskyi said, reporting that Russian troops in the northeastern border region had been stopped.Moscow launched its new summer campaign in May, aiming to push deeper into
Ukraine has halted Russia's advance in Sumy Oblast, stabilizing the front line and blunting the momentum of Moscow's summer offensive, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on June 26.
"Based on the results of May and June, we can say that this year's wave of the enemy's summer offensive from Russian territory is faltering," Syrskyi said, reporting that Russian troops in the northeastern border region had been stopped.
Moscow launched its new summer campaign in May, aiming to push deeper into Ukraine's northeast and eastern regions, disregarding Kyiv's calls for an unconditional ceasefire.
Russian forces had made modest gains, occupying around 449 square kilometers (173 square miles) in May, the highest monthly total in 2025, according to the open-source intelligence group DeepState.
In Sumy Oblast, however, the line of contact has stabilized. Syrskyi said Ukrainian troops are not only defending but also reclaiming ground using active defense tactics.
"In certain areas, our units are liberating Ukrainian territory," he said.
A map of Ukraine's Sumy Oblast (Nizar al-Rifal/The Kyiv Independent)
Syrskyi said Ukrainian operations in Russia's Glushkovsky district had forced Moscow to shift elite units, including Airborne Forces and Marine Corps brigades, into defensive positions, undermining their offensive capabilities in Sumy.
"In the North Slobozhansky and Kursk directions, we have once again pinned down about 50,000 Russian Armed Forces personnel," Syrskyi said. He provided no further details about how Ukraine had achieved this.
Ukraine launched a cross-border offensive into Russia's Kursk Oblast in August 2024, initially capturing 1,300 square kilometers before losing most of that territory in a Russian counterattack earlier this year.
Russian officials declared complete control over the region on April 26, though the claim was later disputed by Kyiv and contradicted by Russia's own local authorities.
Russia's broader offensive aims to seize the remaining administrative borders of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts and carve out a buffer zone along the Sumy and Kharkiv frontiers.
Sumy Oblast, which borders Russia to the east, remains a strategic region. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, it has faced near-daily attacks.
Russian forces launched a drone attack on Sumy Oblast overnight on June 24, killing three people, including an 8-year-old boy, and injuring six others, local officials reported.The strike targeted a settlement near Verkhnia Syrovatka around midnight local time, Governor Oleh Hryhorov said on Telegram. The victims included an adult man and woman, and the child.As of 7:00 a.m. local time, six people – including three children – have been reported injured. All have been hospitalized and are receivi
Russian forces launched a drone attack on Sumy Oblast overnight on June 24, killing three people, including an 8-year-old boy, and injuring six others, local officials reported.
The strike targeted a settlement near Verkhnia Syrovatka around midnight local time, Governor Oleh Hryhorov said on Telegram. The victims included an adult man and woman, and the child.
As of 7:00 a.m. local time, six people – including three children – have been reported injured. All have been hospitalized and are receiving medical care.
The attack damaged about 30 residential buildings and four cars, and sparked a large-scale fire. Police investigators, rescue workers, and medics are responding at the scene.
Sumy Oblast, which borders Russia, has faced intensified assaults in recent weeks amid a broader Russian offensive along Ukraine's northeastern border.
Since March, Russian forces have reportedly captured around 200 square kilometers in the region, prompting evacuations from over 200 settlements.
Ukrainian forces, however, have been reportedly driving Russian troops back amid the continued cross-border attacks.
Russian forces are attempting to advance along almost the entire front in eastern Ukraine while trying to establish a buffer zone in northeastern Sumy Oblast, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi told journalists on June 21.The comments come as Moscow launched a new summer offensive against Ukraine, disregarding calls by Kyiv and its Western partners for an unconditional ceasefire.The offensive's goal is to reach the administrative borders of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts in the east, and create a
Russian forces are attempting to advance along almost the entire front in eastern Ukraine while trying to establish a buffer zone in northeastern Sumy Oblast, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi told journalists on June 21.
The comments come as Moscow launched a new summer offensive against Ukraine, disregarding calls by Kyiv and its Western partners for an unconditional ceasefire.
The offensive's goal is to reach the administrative borders of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts in the east, and create a buffer zone in the border areas of the Sumy and Kharkiv oblasts, Syrskyi said at a meeting attended by the Kyiv Independent.
As of mid-June, Ukrainian defenders are fighting close to 695,000 Russian troops in Ukraine across a 1,200-kilometer (750-mile) front, the commander said, adding that Moscow recruited about 440,000 contract soldiers this year.
According to the open-source intelligence group DeepState, Russian forces occupied approximately 449 square kilometers (173 square miles) in May, the highest monthly figure this year.
Ukraine has managed to stop the Russian advance in Sumy Oblast at the moment, Syrskyi noted. "The situation there has been stabilized... we have recaptured Andriivka, and advanced between 200 and 700 meters in Yunakivka in a week," he said.
Russian forces are also attempting to fully oust Ukrainian troops from Russia's home territory in the Kursk and Belgorod oblasts.
"We control about 90 square kilometers (35 square miles) in the Glushkovsky district of Russia's Kursk Oblast," Syrskyi said.
Ukraine launched the cross-border offensive into Kursk Oblast — bordering Ukraine's Sumy Oblast — last August, initially seizing 1,300 square kilometers (500 square miles) but losing the vast majority of this territory in a Russian counteroffensive earlier this year.
Moscow initially declared to have fully liberated the region on April 26, but this claim was rejected by Ukraine and later disputed by Russian officials themselves.
Kyiv has said the incursion was meant to preempt a Russian offensive into Sumy Oblast and force Russia to redirect troops fighting in Donetsk Oblast.
Syrskyi stressed that at one point, the Kursk operation drew in almost 63,000 Russian soldiers, which, in addition to North Korean soldiers, amounted to about 70,000 troops deployed in the region.
"In April 2025, Russian units – and this, I remind you once again, is about 60 thousand people... were tasked with moving to new sectors and reinforcing Russian assault groups in the Pokrovsk, Toretsk, Lyman, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson directions," Syrskyi said.
"But our actions in the Glushkovsky district of Russia's Kursk Oblast thwarted these plans." At the moment, about 10,000 Russian soldiers are fighting in the Glushkovsky district, the commander added.
Syrskyi also said Russian assault units approached the administrative border of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast but were thrown back.
"As for our plans and intentions. Of course, we will not simply remain in a blind defense... Therefore, we combine defensive actions with active defense and active offensive operations," Syrskyi said.
For this purpose, the Ukrainian military is scaling up its assault units, which were created at the beginning of the Kursk operation and are currently deployed in all areas of the front, he added.
At least 13 civilians were injured in Russian attacks across Ukraine over the past 24 hours, regional authorities reported on June 21. Russia launched 272 drones overnight, including Iranian-designed Shahed-type suicide drones, along with two ballistic missiles and six cruise missiles, Ukraine's Air Force said.Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 140 drones, three Iskander-K cruise missiles, one Kinzhal air-to-air missile, and one Kalibr cruise missile. Another 112 drones reportedly dropped off ra
At least 13 civilians were injured in Russian attacks across Ukraine over the past 24 hours, regional authorities reported on June 21.
Russia launched 272 drones overnight, including Iranian-designed Shahed-type suicide drones, along with two ballistic missiles and six cruise missiles, Ukraine's Air Force said.
Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 140 drones, three Iskander-K cruise missiles, one Kinzhal air-to-air missile, and one Kalibr cruise missile. Another 112 drones reportedly dropped off radars — likely used as decoys to overwhelm Ukrainian systems.
The Air Force said the combined attack was repelled using aviation, mobile fire groups, electronic warfare units, and anti-aircraft missile systems.
In Kherson Oblast, Russian strikes on residential areas and social infrastructure injured seven civilians, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said. Kherson and surrounding settlements west of the Dnipro River face near-daily Russian attacks.
In Donetsk Oblast, three people were wounded in Russian strikes, Governor Vadym Filashkin reported. The region remains one of the most heavily targeted areas amid ongoing Russian offensive operations.
In Poltava Oblast, one person was moderately injured after Russian attacks damaged energy infrastructure and open areas, according to local officials.
A 75-year-old woman was injured in Sumy Oblast after a drone strike, regional authorities said. A woman was also wounded in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Governor Ivan Fedorov reported, without specifying the nature of the attack.
The strikes come amid Russia's ongoing refusal to accept ceasefire proposals as it intensifies coordinated aerial assaults across Ukraine.
President Volodymyr Zelensky on June 20 condemned Russia's attempts to advance in Sumy Oblast, as Moscow intensifies its rhetoric of maximalist demands toward Ukraine."The Russians had various plans and intentions there — absolutely insane, as usual. We are holding them back and eliminating these killers, defending our Sumy Oblast," Zelensky said in his evening address.Russian President Vladimir Putin, earlier on June 20, claimed that "all of Ukraine" belonged to Russia, citing the Kremlin's pro
President Volodymyr Zelensky on June 20 condemned Russia's attempts to advance in Sumy Oblast, as Moscow intensifies its rhetoric of maximalist demands toward Ukraine.
"The Russians had various plans and intentions there — absolutely insane, as usual. We are holding them back and eliminating these killers, defending our Sumy Oblast," Zelensky said in his evening address.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, earlier on June 20, claimed that "all of Ukraine" belonged to Russia, citing the Kremlin's propaganda talking points. Moscow regularly claims that Russians and Ukrainians are "one people."
Putin singled out Sumy, saying that "the city of Sumy is next, the regional center. We don't have a task to take Sumy, but I don't rule it out."
Ukraine's northeastern Sumy Oblast borders Russia and regularly faces Russian shelling as well as drone and missile attacks.
"There was a meeting of the Staff — a very detailed report on the frontline. Particular attention was paid to the Sumy Oblast, to operations in the border areas. I am grateful to our units for their resilience," Zelensky said.
Ukraine continues efforts to work with its allies to increase investment in defense production, he said.
"The volume of support this year is the largest since the start of the full-scale war," Zelensky noted.
Ukraine and Russia held direct peace talks in Turkey on May 16 and June 2. The efforts were largely inconclusive, with Moscow reiterating maximalist demands towards Ukraine.
The two sides were able to agree on large-scale prisoner exchanges. Despite the efforts, Russia has intensified drone and missile attacks on Ukraine.
On June 17, a Russian drone and missile attack on Kyiv killed 30 people and injured another 172. The nearly nine-hour-long strike saw Moscow's forces launch large numbers of drones and missiles at Ukraine's capital.
Editor's Note: This story was updated with comments from Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.Russian President Vladimir Putin said "all of Ukraine" belonged to Russia in a speech on June 20 at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, amid increasingly aggressive official statements about Moscow's final territorial ambitions in Ukraine.Putin's claim was based on the false narrative often pushed both by himself as leader and by Russian propaganda that Russians and Ukrainians are "one people."Th
Editor's Note: This story was updated with comments from Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said "all of Ukraine" belonged to Russia in a speech on June 20 at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, amid increasingly aggressive official statements about Moscow's final territorial ambitions in Ukraine.
Putin's claim was based on the false narrative often pushed both by himself as leader and by Russian propaganda that Russians and Ukrainians are "one people."
The narrative has long figured prominently in Putin's rhetoric, often brought up as justification for its aggression in Ukraine.
In July 2021, just half a year before the full-scale invasion, the Russian leader stoked fears of a larger attack when he wrote and published an essay on the "historical unity of Russians and Ukrainians."
In response to the speech in St Petersburg, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha condemned Putin’s comments as "cynical," saying it showed “complete disregard for U.S. peace efforts."
"While the United States and the rest of the world have called for an immediate end to the killing, Russia's top war criminal discusses plans to seize more Ukrainian territory and kill more Ukrainians," he wrote in a post on X.
Putin made several other statements at the forum, some contradictory, about Moscow's aims in the war going forward.
"Wherever the foot of a Russian soldier steps is Russian land," Putin said, directly implying Russia's intention to continue occupying more than just the five Ukrainian regions that Moscow has illegally laid claim to: Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts, as well as the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.
Sybiha said that "Russian soldier's foot" brings only "death, destruction, and devastation." He accused Putin of indifference toward his own troops, calling him “a mass murderer of his own people.”
"He already disposed one million Russian soldiers in a senseless bloodbath in Ukraine without achieving a single strategic goal. One million soldiers. Two million feet," the minister said.
"And, while Putin is busy sending Russian feet to invade other countries, he is bringing Russians inside the country to their knees economically."
As per the "peace memorandum" presented by the Russian delegation at the last round of peace talks in Istanbul on June 2, Moscow demands Kyiv recognize the oblasts as Russian and hand over all territory not yet controlled by Russian forces into occupation, including the regional capitals of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.
Asked whether Russia aimed to seize the regional center of Sumy in Ukraine's northeast, Putin said that while such a mission has not been assigned, he wouldn't rule it out.
Russian ground attacks into Sumy Oblast have intensified along the northeastern border in the past weeks, having first crossed the border after Ukraine's withdrawal from most of its positions in Kursk Oblast in March.
Russian troops have moved 10-12 kilometers (6-8 miles) deep into the region, according to Putin.
"The city of Sumy is next, the regional center. We don't have a task to take Sumy, but I don't rule it out," Putin said.
Sybiha urged the West to ramp up military aid to Ukraine, tighten sanctions against Russia, designate Moscow a terrorist state, and "isolate it fully."
"His cynical statements serve only one purpose: to divert public attention away from the complete failure of his quarter-century rule," the minister added.
Since March, Russia has reportedly taken control of about 200 square kilometers (80 square miles) in northern Sumy Oblast, including roughly a dozen small villages, according to open-source conflict mapping projects.
As of May 31, mandatory evacuations had been ordered for 213 settlements.
In May, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his military to create a so-called "security buffer zone" along the border with Ukraine, while Zelensky said on May 28 that Moscow had massed 50,000 troops near Sumy.
In a separate interview with Bild on June 12, Zelensky dismissed Moscow's claims of significant territorial gains as "a Russian narrative" aimed at shaping global perceptions. He stressed that Ukrainian forces have managed to hold off a renewed offensive for nearly three weeks.
When asked if Moscow requires the complete capitulation of Kyiv and the Ukrainian leadership, Putin denied this, saying that Russia instead demands the "recognition of the realities on the ground."
The statement follows a consistent line from Russian officials since the return of U.S. President Donald Trump brought new momentum to the idea of a quick negotiated peace in Ukraine.
Projecting a winning position on the battlefield and gaining confidence from Trump's frequent anti-Ukrainian rhetoric and refusal to approve further military aid to Kyiv, Moscow has stuck to maximalist demands, refusing the joint U.S.-Ukraine proposal of a 30-day unconditional ceasefire along the front line.
On June 18, in an interview to CNN, Russian ambassador to the U.K. Andrei Kelin said that while Russian forces were advancing on the battlefield and taking more Ukrainian, there was no incentive to stop, and that Kyiv must either accept Moscow's peace terms now or "surrender" after losing much more.
Russian attacks across Ukraine killed at least six civilians and injured at least 49, including a teenage boy, over the past day, regional authorities reported on June 18. Russian forces launched 58 Shahed-type attack drones and decoys against Ukraine overnight, targeting mainly the Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, the Air Force said.Ukrainian defenses shot down 12 drones, while 18 disappeared from radars or were intercepted by electronic warfare systems, according to the state
Russian attacks across Ukraine killed at least six civilians and injured at least 49, including a teenage boy, over the past day, regional authorities reported on June 18.
Russian forces launched 58 Shahed-type attack drones and decoys against Ukraine overnight, targeting mainly the Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, the Air Force said.
Ukrainian defenses shot down 12 drones, while 18 disappeared from radars or were intercepted by electronic warfare systems, according to the statement.
In Chernihiv Oblast, a Russian drone attack against a village in the Snovsk community on June 17 injured a 68-year-old woman, Governor Viacheslav Chaus reported.
A Russian attack against Nikopol in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast on June 17 killed a 63-year-old man, Governor Serhii Lysak reported. Two more people were injured, and an educational institution and houses were damaged.
Russian attacks across Donetsk Oblast killed a civilian in Myrnohrad and injured eight others in the region, according to Governor Vadym Filashkin.
In Kharkiv Oblast, three people were injured in Russian attacks, including a 69-year-old woman and a 15-year-old boy in Izium and a 52-year-old man in Ripky, Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported.
Russian attacks against Kherson Oblast killed two people and injured 34, according to the regional governor, Oleksandr Prokudin.
In Sumy Oblast, one person was killed and another injured in a Russian drone attack against the Bilopillia community, and another man was killed during an air strike against the Yunakivka community, the regional administration reported.
Russia launched missile and drone attacks against Zaporizhzhia, damaging multiple residential and non-residential buildings but inflicting no casualties, Governor Ivan Fedorov said.
Ukrainian forces are gradually driving Russian troops back from parts of Sumy Oblast, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on June 12, amid escalating cross-border assaults in the region. "Today, there was a report from Commander-in-Chief (Oleksandr) Syrskyi — the front and, above all, the Pokrovsk direction, the Kursk operation, the border area of Sumy Oblast," Zelensky said in a video address. "Our units in Sumy Oblast are gradually pushing back the occupiers. Thank you to each of our soldiers, s
Ukrainian forces are gradually driving Russian troops back from parts of Sumy Oblast, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on June 12, amid escalating cross-border assaults in the region.
"Today, there was a report from Commander-in-Chief (Oleksandr) Syrskyi — the front and, above all, the Pokrovsk direction, the Kursk operation, the border area of Sumy Oblast," Zelensky said in a video address.
"Our units in Sumy Oblast are gradually pushing back the occupiers. Thank you to each of our soldiers, sergeants, and officers for this result."
The statement follows weeks of intensified Russian offensives along the northeastern border. Russian troops have advanced into Sumy Oblast since Ukraine's withdrawal from most of its positions in Russia's Kursk Oblast in March.
Since March, Russia has reportedly taken control of about 200 square kilometers (80 square miles) in northern Sumy Oblast, including roughly a dozen small villages. As of May 31, mandatory evacuations were ordered for 213 settlements.
In May, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his military to create a so-called "security buffer zone" along the border with Ukraine, while Zelensky said on May 28 that Moscow had massed 50,000 troops near Sumy.
In a separate interview with Bild on June 12, Zelensky dismissed Moscow's claims of significant territorial gains as "a Russian narrative" aimed at shaping global perceptions. He stressed that Ukrainian forces have managed to hold off a renewed offensive for nearly three weeks.
Sumy Oblast, which shares a long border with Russia, has been under near-constant attack since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022.
On June 3, Russian strikes on the city of Sumy killed six people and injured 28 others, including children.
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The Kyiv IndependentYuliia Taradiuk
