Over 60% of residents have evacuated from dangerous territories in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy Oblast amid continuous shelling of civilian infrastructure and intensified offensive operations along the border.

The evacuation pace has accelerated in recent days, with more than 400 residents leaving border communities during the week of 9-15 June alone.  Among those evacuated were 26 children, according to the head of Sumy Regional Military Administration, Oleh Hryhorov.

The scale of the evacuation encompasses 213 settlements across Sumy Oblast, with 60 communities now completely abandoned by their residents. 

Russian forces now conduct an average of 80 to 120 strikes daily against the region, Hryhorov reported in a recent interview with Suspilne Sumy. Seven civilians were killed since the beginning of June, including one child. 

The intensity of attacks created a state of near-constant danger, with air raid alerts lasting an average of 14-15 hours daily.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy previously stated that Ukrainian forces had successfully halted Russian advancement in the Sumy direction. However, he also indicated that Russia has concentrated 50,000 soldiers in the area as part of an attempt to establish what he described as a “buffer zone” within Ukrainian territory.

Current occupation data from the analytical project DeepState shows 12 settlements in Sumy region remain under Russian control as of 14 June.

The Institute for the Study of War and Ukrainian officials, however, assessed that Russia lacks sufficient manpower and resources for a major breakthrough in Sumy, with many targeted villages evacuated and of limited strategic value.

The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine documented nearly 50% more civilian casualties in the first five months of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024.

In May alone, at least 183 civilians were killed and 836 injured across Ukraine, according to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine.

The data shows that attacks using long-range missiles and loitering munitions caused the most widespread harm across the country. Near frontline areas, short-range drones equipped with high-resolution cameras for precision targeting produced the highest civilian casualty rates. 

“This year has been devastating for civilians across Ukraine, with significantly more deaths and injuries than during the same period in 2024,” stated Danielle Bell, Head of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine. 

Bell described the combination of intensified long-range attacks and frequent short-range drone strikes along the frontline as “a deadly combination for civilians.”

The attacks affected cities across the country, with Kharkiv experiencing particular impact, along with Kyiv, Odesa and other cities located far from active frontlines.

Bell characterized the sustained nature of the attacks as particularly harmful to civilian populations.

“Hours-long nightly attacks with hundreds of weapons sow fear among families who spend their nights in bomb shelters, listening to the sounds of drones flying overhead,” she said. “At this pace and scale, further loss of civilian life is not just possible—it is inevitable.”

A 17-year-old boy has died in hospital from injuries sustained during the Russian rocket artillery strike on the city of Sumy on 3 June, raising the total death toll to six. “Doctors fought for his life for nearly a week,” local authorities reported on 10 June.

On 3 June, Russian forces shelled central Sumy city in northeastern Ukraine, reportedly using the Tornado-S multiple launch rocket systems. According to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the strike was a deliberate attack on civilian areas.

“Russians savagely hit Sumy. Just the city, ordinary streets – with rocket artillery. A completely deliberate strike on civilians. A rescue operation is underway now,” Zelenskyy said back then.

The President also highlighted that at least one rocket did not detonate. The unexploded munition penetrated the wall of a ninth-floor apartment.

Russia kills civilians in central Sumy with Tornado-S cluster munitions. “Hypersonic” Kinzhal hits near Mykolaiv (updated)

Casualties and aftermath

On the evening of 3 June, officials reported four people killed and 28 injured in the attack. Among the wounded were three children.

On 4 June, the death toll rose to five after an 86-year-old woman died in hospital from injuries sustained during the shelling.

Now, the latest victim, the 17-year-old boy, passed away nearly a week later despite intensive efforts by medical personnel.

The Netherlands completed its donation of F-16 fighter aircraft to Ukraine with the departure of the final batch on 26 May.

The last aircraft left from Volkel Air Base for Belgium, where they will undergo final preparations before delivery to Ukrainian forces, according to the Ministry of Defense report. 

Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans oversaw the departure ceremony, marking the end of the Dutch F-16 program as the country transitions to F-35 aircraft. The minister described the moment as both significant and bittersweet, noting the aircraft’s decades of service with the Dutch air force.

“I could not have thought of a better destination than Ukraine. Because of the daily Russian air attacks, the F-16s are vital for Ukraine. It enables them to keep Russian aggression at a distance for us as well,” Brekelmans said.

While military aircraft transitions typically require years during peacetime, the Ukrainian air force completed the F-16 conversion in record time. Brekelmans credited both Ukrainian pilots and technicians, as well as Dutch personnel, for the rapid implementation.

Ukrainian forces have already deployed the aircraft operationally, according to the Defense Ministry. The jets have intercepted cruise missiles and drones in combat situations, with officials stating lives have been saved as a result. The ministry noted that F-16s provide superior battlefield awareness and survivability compared to the Soviet-era aircraft previously used by Ukraine’s air force.

Dutch support continues through comprehensive logistics packages including pilot training, spare parts, ammunition and fuel supplies.

The Netherlands operates the European F-16 Training Center in Romania using 18 Dutch aircraft, with plans to establish additional ground crew training facilities in the same country.