Ukraine 'thwarts Russian plan for Sumy Oblast,' Zelensky says

Ukrainian forces have pushed back Russian troops in Sumy Oblast, disrupting Moscow's attempts to expand its foothold in the region, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on July 26.

Russia opened a new front in Sumy Oblast in early June, capturing around a dozen border villages. The push followed Russian President Vladimir Putin's May declaration that Moscow aimed to create a "security buffer zone" along Ukraine's northeastern border.

"Although this region remains one of the priority areas for the enemy, our forces consistently block Russian attempts to advance deeper into Sumy Oblast from the border," Zelensky wrote following a report from Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi.

"I thanked the Commander-in-Chief for managing to thwart the Russian plan for the Sumy region. Our active actions in Sumy Oblast continue, and I am grateful to each unit that is gradually pushing the Russian forces out."

The president's statement came after the battlefield tracking group DeepState reported on July 25 that Ukrainian forces had liberated the village of Kindrativka near the Russian border.

Zelensky warned in May that a 50,000-strong Russian force was massing near the oblast. Syrskyi said last month that Ukraine had managed to pin down this grouping and halt its progress, describing the Russian advance as "faltering."

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.

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The Kyiv IndependentLiliane Bivings