Russia seeks to set stage for new offensive, potentially threatening Sumy, Ukraine warns
Russian forces are attempting to create a beachhead for new offensive operations in Ukraine's northeast, potentially setting the stage for an "advance toward the city of Sumy," the Ukrainian military reported on Jan. 11.
"All such attempts are promptly detected and thwarted," the 7th Corps of Ukraine's Airborne Assault Forces said on its Telegram channel.
Russian forces are reportedly intensifying operations in Sumy Oblast with the goal of advancing toward Khotin, a village located approximately 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) north of Sumy, the regional center.
Sumy, home to about 250,000 residents, has been a regular target of Russian shelling and aerial strikes but has never been occupied by Russia.
Russian forces currently hold a handful of settlements in parts of Sumy Oblast, primarily in the northern part of the region, adjacent to Russia's Kursk Oblast. According to the DeepState monitoring group, Moscow's troops were about 5 kilometers (3 miles) from Khotin as of Jan. 9.
Russian forces are "routinely carrying out ground attacks and ramping up drone activity in certain areas," the 7th Corps reported, noting that Russia is avoiding frontal attacks and seeks to penetrate the flanks.
Soldiers of Ukraine's 78th Airborne Assault Brigade are facing units of Russia's 810th Marine Corps Brigade and the 9th Motor Rifle Regiment, according to the military.
"Our active defense and constant reconnaissance enable us to keep the situation fully under control," the 7th Corps reported.
After retreating from Sumy Oblast in 2022, Russia launched another offensive into the region last spring and summer after pushing Ukraine out of Kursk Oblast, seeking to establish a "buffer zone" in the area.
Ukraine said in September 2025 that the offensive had been "completely thwarted," despite Russian forces continuing to hold limited territory there.
In December 2025, the "Kursk" Group of Forces said that Russian forces continued attempts to seize Ukrainian territory in the Sumy Oblast border area. Fighting was ongoing near the villages of Yunakivka, Yablunivka, Varachyne, Andriivka, and Kindrativka.
Russia also entered the border village of Hrabovske in the eastern part of Sumy Oblast at the end of last year, abducting 52 residents to Russia, an act considered a war crime.
Ukraine's State Border Guard reported on Jan. 11 that Russian forces continue to occupy Hrabovske, but Ukrainian troops prevent them from advancing further.
