Ukraine presses Russian troops back on part of Sumy front
FILE PHOTO: Residents walk at a street near a building damaged by Russian missile strikes, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Sumy, Ukraine June 13, 2025. REUTERS/Sofiia Gatilova/File Photo
KYIV - The Ukrainian military said on Saturday that it had pushed Russian forces back by about 2 kilometres (1.2 miles) on part of the Sumy front in northern Ukraine.
There was no immediate comment from Russia, which controls a little over 200 square kilometres in the region, according to Ukraine's battlefield mapping project DeepState.
"Ukrainian soldiers continue active combat actions to destroy the enemy and liberate our settlements," the Ukrainian general staff wrote on Facebook.
It added that fighting was raging near the villages of Oleksiivka and Yunakivka, which lie 5 km and 7 km from the Russian border respectively.
The ebb and flow of the battlefield lines have taken on greater political significance in recent days as Ukraine finds itself at another critical diplomatic juncture with U.S. President Donald Trump stepping up his efforts to broker an end to the war.
The U.S. leader said he and Russian leader Vladimir Putin had "determined" there should be no ceasefire and he would now focus on a quick deal to end the war that has raged since 2022.
Russian troops earlier this week advanced up to 10 km near Dobropillia in Ukraine's east, raising fears of a wider breakthrough that would further threaten key cities.
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore Over 280 vapes seized, more than 640 people checked by police, HSA in anti-vape raids at nightspots
Singapore SPLRT disruption: 28km of cables to be tested during off-service hours; works to end by Aug 23
Singapore First-half GDP boost likely temporary; Republic must stay relevant amid challenges: Chan Chun Sing
Life Six-figure sales each durian season: Why S'pore durian sellers are now live selling on TikTok
Singapore Airport-bound public bus to be fitted with luggage rack in 3-month trial: LTA
Asia Australian universities slash staff, courses as rising wages and foreign student curbs bite
Life Meet the tutors who take O-level exams every year to create a 'war mate' bond with their students
Life Pivot or perish: How Singapore restaurants are giving diners what they want
The Ukrainian military later said it had managed to halt the assault and push Russians back.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy described the Russian thrust as a failed attempt by Moscow to display battlefield strength ahead of Friday's summit between Putin and Trump in Alaska.
He predicted more such efforts in a statement on Saturday.
"...we anticipate that in the coming days the Russian army may try to increase pressure and strikes against Ukrainian positions to create more favourable political circumstances for talks," he said. REUTERS
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Hamas accepts new Gaza truce plan: Hamas official
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Israel's offensive has killed more than 62,004 Palestinians, most of them civilians. CAIRO - Hamas has accepted a new ceasefire proposal for Gaza without requesting amendments, a source from the group told AFP on Aug 18, after a fresh diplomatic push to end more than 22 months of war. Mediators Egypt and Qatar, backed by the United States, have struggled to secure a lasting truce in the conflict, which has triggered a dire humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. But after receiving a new proposal from meditators, Hamas said it was ready for talks. 'Hamas has delivered its response to the mediators, confirming that Hamas and the factions agreed to the new ceasefire proposal without requesting any amendments,' the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Israel has yet to respond. A Palestinian source familiar with the talks said mediators were 'expected to announce that an agreement has been reached and set a date for the resumption of talks', adding guarantees were offered to ensure implementation and pursue a permanent solution. Another Palestinian official earlier said mediators had proposed an initial 60-day truce and hostage release in two batches. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Jobs, infrastructure and homes at the core of Singapore's resilience: Economists Business New online tools by SkillsFuture Singapore help companies plan and curate staff training Life Chinese EV brand Nio to be launched in Singapore in first quarter of 2026 Asia 2 firefighters die in building fire at Osaka's Dotonbori tourist district Singapore Driver hurt after car turns turtle in Upper Thomson accident Sport National tennis player Shaheed Alam serves up charity event to benefit migrant workers Life New Blackpink album scheduled for November, YG Entertainment confirms Singapore Jail for driver of 11-tonne garbage truck that ran over cyclist in Woodlands The proposal comes more than a week after Israel's security cabinet approved plans to expand the war into Gaza City and nearby refugee camps, which has sparked international outcry as well as domestic opposition. 'Confronted and destroyed' An Islamic Jihad source told AFP the plan envisaged a 60-day ceasefire 'during which 10 Israeli hostages would be released alive, along with a number of bodies'. Out of 251 hostages taken during Hamas's October 2023 attack that triggered the war, 49 are still held in Gaza including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. The Islamic Jihad source said 'the remaining captives would be released in a second phase', with negotiations for a broader settlement to follow. They added that 'all factions are supportive' of the Egyptian and Qatari proposal. US President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social: 'We will only see the return of the remaining hostages when Hamas is confronted and destroyed!!!' 'The sooner this takes place, the better the chances of success will be.' Last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel 'will agree to an agreement in which all the hostages are released at once and according to our conditions for ending the war'. Meanwhile, in a now familiar scene in Gaza, AFP footage from the southern city of Khan Yunis showed crowds of mourners kneeling over the shrouded bodies of their loved ones who were killed seeking aid the day before. 'Beyond imagination' Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, visiting the Rafah border crossing with Gaza on Aug 18, said Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani was visiting 'to consolidate our existing common efforts in order to apply maximum pressure on the two sides to reach a deal as soon as possible'. Alluding to the dire humanitarian conditions for the more than two million people living in the Gaza Strip, where UN agencies and aid groups have warned of famine, Abdelatty stressed the urgency of reaching an agreement. 'The current situation on the ground is beyond imagination,' he said. Egypt said on Aug 18 it was willing to join a potential international force deployed to Gaza, but only if backed by a UN Security Council resolution and accompanied by a 'political horizon'. 'Deliberate' starvation On the ground, Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli forces killed at least 11 people across the territory on Aug 18, including six killed by Israeli fire in the south. Contacted by AFP, the Israeli military said it was 'not aware of any casualties as a result of IDF fire' in the southern areas reported by the civil defence. Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties accessing swathes of the Palestinian territory mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by the civil defence agency or the Israeli military. Rights group Amnesty International meanwhile accused Israel of enacting a 'deliberate policy' of starvation in Gaza and 'systematically destroying the health, well-being and social fabric of Palestinian life'. Israel, while heavily restricting aid allowed into Gaza, has repeatedly rejected claims of deliberate starvation. Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Israel's offensive has killed more than 62,004 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to figures from the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza which the United Nations considers reliable. AFP
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Hong Kong arrests 2 over suspected S$8.6m water scam
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Officers seized around 2,600 bottles of water in a warehouse along with documents and electronic devices. HONG KONG - Hong Kong police said on Aug 18 they have arrested two people over a suspected scam involving a water supplier that may have cheated the government in a contract worth nearly US$7 million (S$8.99 million). A company named Xin Ding Xin won a deal in June to provide 1.88 million bottles of water which would go into dispensers in some government offices – the first time such a contract went to a Chinese brand, according to local media. But police said the firm was found to have relied on false documents during the tender process, claiming to source its water from another mainland Chinese supplier when in fact they had no business ties. Officers arrested a 61-year-old man and a 57-year-old woman for fraud on Aug 17, seizing around 2,600 bottles of water in a warehouse along with documents and electronic devices. The arrests have prompted water-cooler discussions across the Chinese finance hub on how bureaucrats missed the telltale signs of a scam when awarding a 36-month contract worth HK$52.9 million (S$8.6 million). Payment for the delivered batches has not yet been settled, according to police. The Government Logistics Department said on Aug 18 that it terminated its bottled water supply contract with Xin Ding Xin, as well as 'three other contracts for supply of chemicals which were affiliated with XDX's owner'. Christopher Hui, Hong Kong's secretary for financial services and the treasury, set up a dedicated task force following an urgent meeting on Aug 17. Hui also ordered 'remedial actions' and invited the Audit Commission to review the tender exercise. 'The incident has brought up concerns among government colleagues and drawn extensive attention from the public,' he said in a press release. Aside from the two arrests on Aug 17, one mainland Chinese man remains at large, police said. AFP
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Congo and M23 rebels miss deadline to reach Doha peace deal
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox FILE PHOTO: An M23 rebel walks on the outskirts of Matanda which is controlled by M23 rebels, in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, March 22, 2025. REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra/File Photo KINSHASA - The Congolese government and M23 rebels have missed Monday's deadline to reach a peace agreement in Doha, raising fears that tensions between the two parties might derail talks and reverse progress made to end the conflict. Fighting in eastern Congo has intensified this year, with the M23 group launching an offensive that allowed it to capture the two largest cities in the region. Under a mediation effort hosted by Qatar, Congo and the rebels signed a declaration of principles on July 19 in which they vowed to start negotiating a deal no later than August 8 with the goal of reaching it by August 18. The AFC-M23 Movement said in a statement on Sunday that only the full implementation of the declaration of principles, which includes the release of prisoners, would enable the next round of talks to proceed. A senior AFC source said on Monday that while rebels didn't expect significant progress from the talks, they would send a small delegation in the coming days due to Qatar's pressure as negotiators. "Our delegation will simply reinforce the need to implement these measures before we can engage in negotiations," the source said. A governmental source said authorities had received a draft agreement from the mediation team, and both parties are working on their comments before delegates return to Doha later this week. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Jobs, infrastructure and homes at the core of Singapore's resilience: Economists Business New online tools by SkillsFuture Singapore help companies plan and curate staff training Life Chinese EV brand Nio to be launched in Singapore in first quarter of 2026 Asia 2 firefighters die in building fire at Osaka's Dotonbori tourist district Singapore Driver hurt after car turns turtle in Upper Thomson accident Sport National tennis player Shaheed Alam serves up charity event to benefit migrant workers Life New Blackpink album scheduled for November, YG Entertainment confirms Singapore Jail for driver of 11-tonne garbage truck that ran over cyclist in Woodlands It added that the release of prisoners is a complicated prerequisite because it can be a subject of negotiations rather than a condition to continue talks. A Qatari official told Reuters on Sunday that while the timeline outlined in the declaration of principles had not been met, both parties expressed a willingness to continue negotiations. REUTERS
