Russian forces have reportedly made further territorial gains in Ukraine's northeastern Sumy region, as Moscow intensifies its offensive with an eye on leveraging captured areas during anticipated peace talks later this month. The negotiations are expected to take place in the third or final week of June.
According to Russian military sources, two more villages in the Sumy region have fallen under Moscow’s control, marking a continued push in an area that has seen a sharp uptick in hostilities in recent weeks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, however, stated on Saturday that Kyiv’s forces were actively pushing back against Russian advances in the region.
Russia’s defence ministry confirmed the capture of Yabunivka, a village situated about nine kilometres (approximately five miles) from the Russian border. This gain is part of a broader strategy aimed at establishing what President Vladimir Putin has described as a “buffer zone” within Ukrainian territory—an area intended to insulate Russia’s border regions from further Ukrainian attacks.
These developments are part of Moscow's wider campaign to escalate pressure on Ukrainian forces and leadership. Russian officials have accused Kyiv of undermining past ceasefire talks and have continued to demand that Ukraine make significant concessions as a condition for peace. These include ceding more territory, formally abandoning aspirations to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), and ceasing military cooperation with Western allies.
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The Sumy region has long been a contested zone. Russia made an initial attempt to capture the regional capital, Sumy city, during its 2022 summer offensive. However, that effort was thwarted by Ukrainian resistance later that year.
In 2024, Ukraine launched a cross-border incursion into Russia’s southwestern Kursk region, using Sumy as a launch point. In response, and following Russia’s successful recapture of parts of Kursk earlier this year, President Putin ordered a fresh military advance into northeastern Ukraine.
In addition to the Sumy offensive, Russian troops on Friday claimed to have seized two more villages in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, which Moscow controversially claims to have annexed. This latest wave of offensives across multiple fronts is part of a broader strategy by Russia to ratchet up military pressure on Kyiv and force President Zelensky into serious peace negotiations.
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