Illustrated map of Ukraine, with Sumy Oblast noted in red. (Ruslan Maiborodin)
Russian forces shelled seven communities along the Sumy Oblast border on Jan. 11, the local military administration reported.
The attacks hit the communities of Bilopillia, Esman, Svesa, Krasnopillia, Seredyna-Buda, Yunakivka, and Myropillia.
No casualties or damage to civilian infrastructure were reported.
Russian forces attacked the region with artillery, mines, and drones, firing at the Sumy border 11 times and causing 38 explosions.
The residents of Sumy Oblast's border communities are subject to near-constant shelling by nearby Russian troops. An attack on Jan. 9 damaged several homes and a local cultural center.
Abbey Fenbert is a senior news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She is a freelance writer, editor, and playwright with an MFA from Boston University. Abbey served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine from 2008-2011.
Ukrainian forces downed 48 out of the 75 drones, including Shahed-type attack drones, launched by Russia overnight, the Air Force reported. Twenty-six drones struck six different locations, according to the statement.
Representatives of the Polish Defense Ministry and the country's Armed Forces are set to meet their Ukrainian counterparts and discuss defense cooperation and support for Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression.
Ukraine expects a delegation of Polish military officials to arrive this week to study the country’s experience in countering Russian air attacks, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said at a briefing on Sept. 17.
Over the summer months, the Russian army has failed to secure any front-line breakthroughs or capture a single major Ukrainian city, with its main efforts concentrated in Donetsk Oblast.
Dmitry Kozak, a longtime associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin and one of the few senior Russian officials to oppose the invasion of Ukraine, has reportedly resigned from his post as the Kremlin's deputy chief of staff.
President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that Ukraine will receive Patriot and HIMARS missiles as part of a U.S. weapons package financed by NATO allies.
The drone, whose model was not disclosed, flew over several sensitive sites, including government buildings and the presidential residence, on the evening of Sept. 15.
Washington and Kyiv will invest $75 million each to kickstart the Ukraine reconstruction investment fund that gives the U.S. special access to mineral sites and other projects in Ukraine, the Economy Minister Oleksii Sobolev told journalists on Sept. 17.
"Today, they are all safe in Ukraine, receiving psychological support, restoring their documents, and taking their first steps toward a peaceful new life," Presidential Office head Andriy Yermak said.
Germany's previously cautious position on seizing the assets has shifted recently, partly as a result of fears that if the U.S. completely pulls aid to Ukraine, the burden to support Kyiv will fall disproportionately on Berlin, according to Bloomberg.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
