Russian advance in Sumy halted: Ukrainian commander
'The advance by Russian troops in the border area of the Sumy region has been halted and the battle contact line stabilized,' Syrskyi said. Ukrainian forces had recovered territory previously lost to the Russian forces, he added.
Russian forces had made incursions into Sumy after recovering parts of the Kursk region in western Russian from the Ukrainians. The region is seen as the main line of advance in Russia's summer offensive, with large numbers of troops engaged. Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the creation of a buffer zone within Ukraine and did not rule out seizing the regional capital of Sumy at the recent St Petersburg International Economic Forum.
Russian forces are still some 20 kilometres from the city, where they have become bogged down, according to observers. Syrskyi posted that Ukrainian fortifications in the region were being extended. Coordination with the local authorities would also be improved, he said.
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