Russian offensive in Sumy Oblast 'completely thwarted,' Zelensky says
Russia's offensive in Sumy Oblast has been "completely thwarted" by Ukrainian forces, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Sept. 12 following a briefing with Ukraine's top military command.
Moscow launched its summer offensive in Ukraine's northeast and eastern regions in May, opening up a new front line in Sumy Oblast. Russian forces seized several villages in May and June, coming within 20 kilometers (12 miles) of the regional capital of Sumy.
"As of today, we can state that the Russian offensive operation on Sumy has been completely thwarted by our forces," Zelensky said in his nightly address, citing front-line reports from Commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi.
"Fighting continues in the border areas of Sumy Oblast, but the Russian group in the Sumy area has lost offensive capabilities due to the losses suffered."
In late June, Syrskyi reported that Russia's advance in Sumy Oblast had faltered, with Ukraine stabilizing the line of contact and beginning to liberate territory. Ukrainian forces reported additional advances and liberated villages in July and August.
Moscow launched the offensive in May, shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the military to create a "security buffer zone" along the northern border with Ukraine. Putin's order came as Russia once again rejected a U.S. and European proposal for a full and unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine.
Sumy Oblast has been a key target for Russian forces throughout the full-scale invasion due to its location on the northeastern frontier. It continues to face near-daily strikes, but Ukrainian forces have maintained control over most of the region.
Earlier this week, Syrsky reported that Ukrainian troops had prevented Russian forces from launching a planned major offensive in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
Russia continues to make gains in eastern Ukraine, concentrating the bulk of its forces in Donetsk Oblast in an attempt to seize the strategic logistic hub Pokrovsk. Syrskyi claimed on Sept. 7 that Ukrainian forces retook five times more territory than it lost in the Pokrovsk sector in August.
