Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on Sunday that Ukrainian troops have advanced in the border districts of the northern Sumy region, where Russian forces have long attempted to gain ground.
Speaking in his evening video address, Zelensky also cited the Ukrainian army commander, noting that Russian forces suffered significant losses in the Donetsk and Kharkiv regions along the 1,000-kilometer front line, according to the news agency Reuters.
The Ukrainian president’s remarks came after a week of Russian statements claiming victories in the central Dnipropetrovsk region.
“There are good results in the border areas of the Sumy region,” Zelensky said, quoting Commander Oleksandr Syrskyi. “Our units continue to advance toward the state border of Ukraine,” he added.
Since Ukrainian forces were pushed out of Russia’s Kursk region earlier this year, Russian troops have tried to establish what the Kremlin calls a neutral zone in Sumy. Russia continues to regularly shell larger cities, including Sumy itself.
Zelensky further stated that Russian forces have suffered notable losses near Kupiansk, in the northeastern Kharkiv region, which has faced sustained pressure from Ukrainian forces for months.
“We continue operations in the direction of Dobropillia,” the president added, referring to a town near Pokrovsk, a key point in Russian attempts to penetrate the Donetsk region. “It is crucial that Russian attacks are being repelled by our troops,” Zelensky emphasized.
Meanwhile, Kherson Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported on Telegram that two people were killed in attacks across various parts of the region.
