Russia launching WWII-style breakthrough in Sumy region "not feasible" – expert

He shared his views during on Espreso TV.

"To avoid sparking panic, let me say right away — a large-scale breakthrough in the style of World War II is not possible in Sumy. People here remember 2022, when Russia advanced and was, so to speak, on the outskirts of Sumy by midday. By February 25, the city was sealed off and under siege for a month. Today, there will be no such breakthrough where the enemy reaches Sumy in a day. Warfare is different now.

It’s simply not feasible because the terrain between the Siverskyi Donets and Psel rivers is not suited for tanks — it’s full of floodplains and a network of ponds. You can’t maneuver tanks there. However, it’s a paradise for sabotage and reconnaissance groups and snipers: a landscape with forests and woodlands, the edge of the Central Russian highlands," the analyst explained.

According to him, Russian forces might try to use this area as a "gray zone," given reports that Russia has amassed over 60,000 troops nearby. So there could be engagements similar to those near Pokrovsk — advances of maybe 500 meters a day at most. At that pace, it would take them six months to a year to reach Sumy. Therefore, there's no reason to panic about a rapid breakthrough in the region.

"Still, Russian artillery can strike up to 20 kilometers deep, as seen in Bilopillia, and FPV drones are active. For instance, on May 17, a minivan was hit by Russian forces just 11 km from the front line on the Sumy–Bilopillia–Putyvl–Hlukhiv–Shostka highway. The railway is nearby too. When a train runs from Sumy to Konotop, it speeds up to pass through this high-risk zone near the border. It’s possible the Russians aim to cut this road, which connects Sumy with communities north of the Siverskyi Donets River. In that sense, they could advance here.

But back in 1943, the Red Army advanced elsewhere — around the Pysarivka community, aiming to reach the rear of Kharkiv and sever the Sumy–Kharkiv highway and rail links. That area lies further south than where the current intense fighting is happening," Bobyrenko concluded.

• On the morning of Saturday, May 17, Russian forces attacked a bus near the town of Bilopillia in Sumy region killing and injuring people.