'They are not so successful' — Zelensky rejects claims of major Russian advances
Zelensky rejected claims of Russian advance as "a Russian narrative," insisting that Ukraine's forces have been holding off a renewed offensive for nearly three weeks.
"The Russians are not so successful, to say the least," Zelensky said.
His remarks come amid a surge in Russian military operations across Ukraine's eastern and northern regions, including Russian claims of territorial gains in Dnipropetrovsk and Sumy oblasts — assertions Kyiv denies.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told the Russian state media on June 9 that the offensive in Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk Oblast aims to establish a so-called "buffer zone" on Ukrainian territory.
The statement followed Russian President Vladimir Putin's earlier announcement that Moscow intends to create security corridors along Ukraine's borders with Russia's Kursk, Bryansk, and Belgorod regions.
Ukrainian officials denied any Russian advances into Dnipropetrovsk.
"As of the morning of June 9, all Russian information, including Peskov's statements, about an offensive in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast does not correspond to reality," said Andrii Kovalenko, head of Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation.
Ukraine's Southern Operational Command described the situation as "tense" but said no breakthroughs had occurred.
Despite the absence of confirmed ground incursions, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast has faced frequent missile and drone attacks. In April, the region initiated mandatory evacuations from four front-line villages as a precautionary measure.
Separately, open-source monitoring group DeepState showed some advances near the Russian border in Sumy Oblast. On June 8, DeepState confirmed that Russian troops had occupied the village of Loknia in Ukraine's Sumy Oblast.
Located about 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of Sumy, the village lies close to the Russian border in an increasingly volatile region. The Ukrainian General Staff has not commented on the development.
According to an article by Ukrainska Pravda, Russian forces began advancing into northern Sumy Oblast in late February or early March, taking advantage of the withdrawal of Ukraine's most combat-capable units. These were reportedly replaced by newly formed, under-resourced brigades with minimal combat experience and limited equipment.
Since March, Russia has reportedly taken control of about 200 square kilometers (80 square miles) in northern Sumy Oblast, including roughly a dozen small villages. The advances have triggered civilian evacuations. As of May 31, regional authorities ordered the evacuation of 213 settlements.
Read also: As Russia inches closer to Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, new Ukrainian region might soon be at war
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