With Rusia-Ukraine ceasefire negotiations resumed un US President Donald Trump’s pressure for the first time since 2022, Russian forces have launched a new offensive in northern Ukraine, targeting border villages in Sumy Oblast and pushing to create a buffer zone, according to multiple Ukrainian sources.

Border assaults on Sumy’s Oleksiivka, Yunakivka, and Yablunivka

Ukraine’s General Staff confirmed that the Russians have intensified assaults near the Sumy Oblast border, specifically in the direction of Oleksiivka, Yunakivka, and Yablunivka. The attackers are attempting to breach Ukrainian defenses and solidify a presence along the frontier.

A Ukrainian war monitoring group, DeepState, reported that Russian troops have captured six settlements in the area, including the village of Vodolahy, which is located approximately 25–30 kilometers from the regional capital, Sumy city. These attacks are supported by drone strikes and artillery shelling of civilian areas, according to local authorities.

According to the General Staff, there have been 34 combat clashes on the Kursk direction – the junction point of Ukraine’s Sumy Oblast and Russia. Russian forces reportedly conducted 14 airstrikes, dropped 24 guided bombs, and carried out 245 shelling attacks, including nine using multiple rocket launchers.

DeepState: Russia targets key logistical villages

DeepState said Russian troops are advancing toward Khotin and Yunakivka.

“Yunakivka has many buildings that offer cover, making it ideal for Russian forces to hide, gather, and entrench,” the monitoring group noted.

They warned that if Russia secures Yunakivka and the surrounding heights, it could open the way for FPV drone attacks on the city of Sumy — the same thing Russia already does in Kherson to terrorize civilians in what’s come to be known as the “human safari.”

In a separate broadcast on Suspilne Studio, DeepState co-founder Ruslan Mikula stated that Russian forces are attempting daily incursions into northern Yunakivka.

“It is an important location logistically, capable of hosting a large number of personnel. The enemy prioritizes taking Yunakivka and is also pressing toward Yablunivka,” he said.

Evacuation from border zone begins

On 31 May 2025, Sumy Oblast Military Administration head Oleg Hryhorov issued a video message, confirming the start of a mandatory evacuation from 11 border villages. A total of 111 people have evacuated so far, with over 2,800 residents in the affected area, including 367 children.

50,000 Russian troops near Sumy, Zelenskyy says

Militarnyi notes that Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has previously stated that approximately 50,000 Russian troops are concentrated near Sumy, forming the core of the new offensive. Ukrainian military reports indicate that Russia is using assault groups from airborne troops and special operations forces to penetrate defenses and move from the Kursk area into Sumy Oblast.

Active combat in gray zones and new push in multiple directions

Russian infantry is currently assaulting near Bilovody and Loknia, where they are making progress. DeepState notes that Vodolahy, Volodymyrivka, and Kostiantynivka are now in the “gray zone” due to ongoing fighting and lack of confirmed control.

DeepState’s Mikula further stated on Suspilne that “the enemy is conducting offensive actions from Kostiantynivka to Oleshna,” and noted Russian attempts to break through toward Myropillia on 25–27 May. Losses were reported on the Russian side, but their troops are trying to entrench along the administrative border between Ukraine and Russia.

Kremlin’s broader summer campaign

Russia appears to have accelerated its military actions on the battlefield, launching the fastest-paced offensive of 2025, The New York Times believes. The Kremlin is pushing into remaining Ukrainian-controlled parts of Donetsk Oblast in an apparent bid to complete its conquest of the Donbas region, including Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts.

Military analysts cited by NYT say Russian forces improved their tactics, drone capabilities, and logistics during the winter pause. This month, they breached Ukrainian lines between Pokrovsk and Toretsk, advancing toward remaining supply hubs under Ukrainian control, according to the report.

Simultaneously, smaller gains have been noted in Sumy Oblast, where Russian troops are reportedly leveraging momentum after repelling Ukrainian incursions into the Kursk region last year.