Russian forces target Ukrainian defensive positions in border areas

Ukrainian State Border Guard Service spokesperson Andriy Demchenko reported the information, according to Ukrinform.

“Russian forces do not stop shelling these three regions (Sumy, Chernihiv, Kharkiv — ed.), and the number of shells fired and the means used by the Russians are not decreasing — on the contrary, they are increasing. For example, our border units recorded about 200 such incidents over the past day. 

Most of the shelling is concentrated on the Sumy and Kharkiv regions, while Chernihiv is hit somewhat less, but again, shelling remains a daily occurrence there as well. The Russians are mostly using drone strikes — including drone-dropped munitions, FPV drones, and fiber-optic guided drones,” Demchenko said.

He added that in the Sumy and Kharkiv regions, the Russian army is actively using aviation, targeting Ukrainian defenders’ positions and destroying shelters and trenches to prevent Ukrainian troops from maintaining a stable defense.

“The most threatening situation remains in the Sumy and Kharkiv regions,” the spokesperson emphasized.

Speaking about the situation in the Kharkiv region, he noted that the Russian army began offensive actions in the areas of Vovchansk and Lyptsi last year. Now, Russian invaders continue their attempts to expand the combat zone on Ukrainian territory by carrying out assault operations and deploying equipment and personnel.

“Thanks to Ukrainian soldiers, Russian forces are unable to achieve the goals they have set for themselves,” Demchenko emphasized.

Commenting on reports about Russia’s intentions to create a buffer zone in the Sumy region, Demchenko said the Russians are currently increasing the number of sabotage and reconnaissance groups and are trying to gain a foothold by pushing as far as possible into Ukrainian territory.

“Russian troops are using small assault groups, sending them into Ukrainian territory to try to gain a foothold and effectively create what you mentioned — a ‘gray zone’ inside Ukraine, shifting the zone of active fighting onto Ukrainian soil. Sometimes they even use quad bikes to advance as quickly and deeply as possible into Ukraine and again try to establish positions. These groups are also being eliminated, but every day such units attempt to cross our border to build up their presence on Ukrainian territory,” Andriy Demchenko explained.

• Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, stated that Russian troops have effectively launched an offensive on Ukraine’s Sumy and Kharkiv regions.