Kyiv: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced on Sunday that Ukrainian forces have achieved notable progress in the border areas of Sumy, a northern region that has endured months of Russian pressure. The advance, though limited, is being described in Kyiv as a strategic pushback against Moscow’s attempts to carve out a buffer zone along Ukraine’s northern frontier.
The Sumy region has long been a flashpoint since Russia stepped up incursions earlier this year. Russian units had sought to establish fortified positions by targeting towns and infrastructure, aiming to prevent Ukraine from mounting operations toward Russian territory. Zelenskiy, in his nightly address, said that Ukrainian defenders were now reversing that trend by gradually regaining ground.
Ukraine’s top commander, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, underlined that Russian forces have suffered steep losses across the 1,000-kilometre battlefront. The most severe attrition, according to Syrskyi, has occurred in the Kharkiv and Donetsk regions, where Russian offensives have met fierce resistance. He highlighted the northeastern Kharkiv sector near Kupiansk as a particularly active zone, with Russian units reportedly sustaining significant personnel and equipment losses.
In Donetsk, Ukrainian forces claim to have blunted Russian assaults near Dobropillia, a town strategically located close to Pokrovsk. Zelenskiy praised the “stability and resilience” of Ukraine’s troops in that sector. The president stressed that maintaining these positions was critical to denying Russia a breakthrough deeper into Ukrainian-held Donetsk.
While Kyiv highlights battlefield progress, Moscow has presented a contrasting narrative. Denis Pushilin, the Russian-installed head of the Donetsk region, stated that Russian troops were conducting a pincer movement around several villages near Pokrovsk. He asserted that these operations would consolidate Russian control over contested areas, though independent verification remains scarce.
The conflicting claims underscore how the Donetsk front remains highly volatile, with both sides seeking to control key roadways and logistical hubs that would determine future advances. Military analysts note that Pokrovsk is emerging as one of the most contested towns in eastern Ukraine.
Beyond the northern and eastern fronts, fighting also persists in southern Ukraine. In the Kherson region, officials reported that Russian shelling and drone attacks claimed the lives of two civilians in separate incidents over the weekend. Local authorities warned residents of continued risks as Russian forces step up aerial assaults on civilian settlements, particularly along the Dnipro River basin.
The reported gains in Sumy, while modest, hold considerable strategic weight for Kyiv. Russia’s effort to create a buffer zone in the north was designed to weaken Ukraine’s defensive depth and deter future strikes across the border. By pushing Russian troops back, Ukraine is not only protecting its civilian areas but also disrupting Moscow’s larger military calculus.
At the same time, the high cost of fighting in Kharkiv and Donetsk reflects the grinding nature of the conflict. Each side continues to claim incremental successes, yet the attritional toll remains severe. As the war nears the end of its third year, the battle for Ukraine’s borderlands and eastern territories shows no sign of slowing.