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The Herald Scotland
11 hours ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Ukraine halts Russia's advance in the Sumy region, commander says
His claim could not be independently verified. Russian forces have been slowly grinding forward at some points on the roughly 620-mile front line, though their incremental gains have been costly in terms of troop casualties and damaged armour. The outnumbered Ukrainian army has relied heavily on drones to keep the Russians back. Months of US-led international efforts to stop the war have failed. Amid the hostilities, the two sides have continued swaps of prisoners of war (POW) agreed on during recent talks between their delegations in Istanbul. Ukrainian servicemen attend military training (Andriy Andriyenko/Ukraine's 65th Mechanized Brigade via AP) Russia's Defence Ministry and Ukrainian authorities said another exchange took place on Thursday. Ukraine's co-ordination headquarters for POWs said the swap included injured soldiers and those with health complaints. The youngest is 24 and the oldest is 62, it said, adding that more exchanges are expected soon. Sumy, the city which is the capital of the Ukrainian region of the same name, had a pre-war population of around 250,000. It lies about 12 miles from the front line. Russia's push into the region earlier this year compelled Ukraine to strengthen its defences there. A special defence group has been formed to improve security in Sumy and the surrounding communities, Col Gen Syrskyi said, with a focus on improving fortifications and accelerating construction of defensive barriers. In March, Ukrainian forces withdrew from much of Russia's neighbouring Kursk region, parts of which they had controlled after a surprise cross-border attack in August. That retreat enabled Russia to launch a counter-offensive that advanced between one to seven miles into Ukrainian territory, according to different estimates. Ukrainian officials say fierce fighting is also taking place in the eastern Donetsk region. The Russian Defence Ministry said on Thursday that its forces have captured two villages, Novoserhiivka and Shevchenko, in Donetsk. Capturing Shevchenko marked an important stage in Russia's ongoing offensive that is trying to break into Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region, which borders Donetsk and is a major industrial centre, according to the ministry. Meanwhile, the two sides continued to launch long-range strikes. The Russian ministry said 50 Ukrainian drones were downed over nine regions overnight, including three over the Moscow region. Ukraine's air force said that Russia deployed 41 Shahed and decoy drones across the country overnight, wounding five people. It said that 24 drones were either intercepted or jammed.
Irish Examiner
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Ukraine halts Russia's advance in the Sumy region, commander says
Ukrainian forces have halted Russia's recent advance into the northern region of Sumy and have stabilised the front line near the border with Russia, Ukraine's top military commander said. Col Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander in chief of Ukraine's armed forces, said that Ukrainian successes in Sumy have prevented Russia from deploying about 50,000 Russian troops, including elite airborne and marine brigades, to other areas of the front line. His claim could not be independently verified. Russian forces have been slowly grinding forward at some points on the roughly 620-mile front line, though their incremental gains have been costly in terms of troop casualties and damaged armour. The outnumbered Ukrainian army has relied heavily on drones to keep the Russians back. Months of US-led international efforts to stop the war have failed. Amid the hostilities, the two sides have continued swaps of prisoners of war (POW) agreed on during recent talks between their delegations in Istanbul. Ukrainian servicemen attend military training (Andriy Andriyenko/Ukraine's 65th Mechanized Brigade via AP) Russia's Defence Ministry and Ukrainian authorities said another exchange took place on Thursday. Ukraine's co-ordination headquarters for POWs said the swap included injured soldiers and those with health complaints. The youngest is 24 and the oldest is 62, it said, adding that more exchanges are expected soon. Sumy, the city which is the capital of the Ukrainian region of the same name, had a pre-war population of around 250,000. It lies about 12 miles from the front line. Russia's push into the region earlier this year compelled Ukraine to strengthen its defences there. A special defence group has been formed to improve security in Sumy and the surrounding communities, Col Gen Syrskyi said, with a focus on improving fortifications and accelerating construction of defensive barriers. In March, Ukrainian forces withdrew from much of Russia's neighbouring Kursk region, parts of which they had controlled after a surprise cross-border attack in August. That retreat enabled Russia to launch a counter-offensive that advanced between one to seven miles into Ukrainian territory, according to different estimates. Ukrainian officials say fierce fighting is also taking place in the eastern Donetsk region. The Russian Defence Ministry said on Thursday that its forces have captured two villages, Novoserhiivka and Shevchenko, in Donetsk. Capturing Shevchenko marked an important stage in Russia's ongoing offensive that is trying to break into Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region, which borders Donetsk and is a major industrial centre, according to the ministry. Meanwhile, the two sides continued to launch long-range strikes. The Russian ministry said 50 Ukrainian drones were downed over nine regions overnight, including three over the Moscow region. Ukraine's air force said that Russia deployed 41 Shahed and decoy drones across the country overnight, wounding five people. It said that 24 drones were either intercepted or jammed.
Toronto Sun
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Sun
Russia seizes Ukrainian border villages as its massive bombing campaign slows
Published May 27, 2025 • 2 minute read In this photo provided by Ukraine's 65th Mechanized Brigade press service, Ukrainian servicemen attend a military training in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine, Monday, May 26, 2025. Photo by Andriy Andriyenko/Ukraine's 65th Mechanized Brigade via AP / AP KYIV, Ukraine — Russian forces have taken four border villages in Ukraine's northeastern Sumy region, a local official said Tuesday, days after Russian President Vladimir Putin said he had issued an order to establish a buffer zone along the border. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Sumy borders Russia's Kursk region, where a surprise Ukrainian incursion last year captured a pocket of land in the first occupation of Russian territory since the Second World War. Creating a buffer zone could help Russia prevent further Ukrainian cross-border attacks there. Meanwhile, a Russian bombing campaign that had escalated in recent days slowed overnight as far fewer Russian drones targeted Ukrainian towns and cities. Moscow's invasion has shown no signs of stopping despite months of intense U.S.-led efforts to secure a ceasefire and get traction for peace talks. Since Russian and Ukrainian delegations met in Turkey earlier this month for their first direct talks in three years, a large prisoner exchange has been the only tangible outcome, but negotiations have brought no significant breakthrough. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Between Friday and Sunday, Russia launched around 900 drones at Ukraine, officials said, amid a spate of large-scale bombardments. On Sunday night, Russia launched its biggest drone attack of the 3-year war against Ukraine, firing 355 drones. From Monday to Tuesday, Russia fired 60 drones at Ukraine, the Ukrainian air force said Tuesday. Russia's Ministry of Defence claimed its air defences downed 99 Ukrainian drones overnight over seven Russian regions. The weekend surge in Russia's bombardments of Ukraine drew a rebuke from U.S. President Donald Trump, who said Putin had gone 'crazy.' That comment prompted a sharp Kremlin reaction Monday, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov criticizing 'emotional reactions' to events. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Peskov adopted a milder tone Tuesday, hailing U.S. peace efforts and saying that 'the Americans and President Trump have taken a quite balanced approach.' In Sumy, Russian forces are trying to advance deeper after capturing villages, Oleh Hryhorov, head of the Sumy regional military administration, said in a statement. Ukrainian forces are endeavouring to hold the line, he said. Residents of the captured villages were evacuated earlier, and there is no immediate threat to civilians, Hryhorov said. Putin visited the Kursk region last week for the first time since Moscow claimed last month that it drove Ukrainian forces out of the area where they captured land last August. Kyiv officials have denied the claim. The long border remains vulnerable to Ukrainian incursions, Putin said. He said he told the Russian military to create a 'security buffer zone' along the border but provided no public details of where the proposed zone would be or how far it would stretch. Putin said a year ago that a Russian offensive at the time aimed to create a buffer zone in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region. That could have helped protect Russia's Belgorod border region, where frequent Ukrainian attacks have embarrassed the Kremlin. Columnists Sunshine Girls Sunshine Girls Columnists Relationships
South Wales Argus
23-05-2025
- Politics
- South Wales Argus
Russia and Ukraine say a major prisoner swap has begun
President Volodymyr Zelensky said the first phase of the exchange was bringing home 390 Ukrainians, with further releases expected over the weekend. 'It's very important to bring everyone home,' he wrote on Telegram, thanking all who worked to secure their return and pledging to continue diplomatic efforts to make more exchanges possible. Russia's Ministry of Defence said each side had released 270 military personnel and 120 civilian detainees. The exchange is 'planned to continue in coming days,' it said. Ukraine's 65th Mechanised Brigade (Andriy Andriyenko/Ukraine's 65th Mechanized Brigade via AP) In Turkey last week, Ukraine and Russia agreed to the exchange of 1,000 prisoners from each side in their first direct peace talks since the early weeks of Moscow's 2022 invasion. That meeting lasted only two hours and brought no breakthrough in efforts to stop the fighting. The swap was taking place at the border with Belarus in northern Ukraine, according to a Ukrainian official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly. The released Russians were taken to Belarus for medical treatment, the Russian Defence Ministry said. The exchange, which also would be the biggest swap of Ukrainian civilians at one time, did not appear to herald any halt in fighting. Russia launched two ballistic missiles at infrastructure in the southern Ukrainian port of Odesa, killing one worker and injuring eight others – four critically, according to regional governor Oleh Kiper. It was the first recorded attack on the port since March 11. Fighting continues along the 620-mile front line, where tens of thousands of soldiers have been killed, and neither country has relented in its deep strikes. News of the prisoner release emerged when US president Donald Trump said Russia and Ukraine had carried out a large exchange. Russian servicemen (Russian Defence Ministry Press Service via AP) 'A major prisoners swap was just completed between Russia and Ukraine,' Mr Trump said on the Truth Social platform. He said it would 'go into effect shortly.' He added in the post that 'this could lead to something big???' — apparently referring to other diplomatic efforts to stop the fighting. After the May 16 talks, Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan called the prisoner swap a 'confidence-building measure' and said the parties had agreed in principle to meet again. But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that there has been no agreement yet on the venue for the next round of talks as diplomatic manoeuvering continued. European leaders have accused Russian president Vladimir Putin of dragging his feet in peace efforts while he tries to press his larger army's battlefield initiative and capture more Ukrainian land. The Istanbul meeting revealed both sides clearly remained far apart on key conditions for ending the fighting. One such condition for Ukraine, backed by its Western allies, is a temporary ceasefire as a first step toward a peaceful settlement. The Kremlin has pushed back on a temporary halt to hostilities, and Mr Putin has said any such truce must come with a freeze on Western arms supplies to Ukraine and an end to Ukraine's mobilisation drive. A senior Ukrainian official said in Istanbul that Russia had introduced new, 'unacceptable demands' to withdraw Ukrainian forces from huge swaths of territory. The official, who was not authorised to make official statements, spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. The proposal had not been previously discussed, the official said. Mr Putin has long demanded as a key condition for a peace deal that Ukraine withdraw its troops from the four regions that Russia annexed in September 2022 but never fully controlled. Mr Zelensky has warned that if Russia continues to reject a ceasefire and make 'unrealistic demands,' it will signal deliberate efforts to prolong the war — a move that should bring tougher international sanctions. Russia's Defence Ministry said it had shot down 788 Ukrainian drones away from the battlefield between May 20-23. Ukraine's air force said Russia fired 175 Shahed and decoy drones, as well as a ballistic missile since late Thursday.
Western Telegraph
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Western Telegraph
Russia and Ukraine say a major prisoner swap has begun
President Volodymyr Zelensky said the first phase of the exchange was bringing home 390 Ukrainians, with further releases expected over the weekend. 'It's very important to bring everyone home,' he wrote on Telegram, thanking all who worked to secure their return and pledging to continue diplomatic efforts to make more exchanges possible. Russia's Ministry of Defence said each side had released 270 military personnel and 120 civilian detainees. The exchange is 'planned to continue in coming days,' it said. Ukraine's 65th Mechanised Brigade (Andriy Andriyenko/Ukraine's 65th Mechanized Brigade via AP) In Turkey last week, Ukraine and Russia agreed to the exchange of 1,000 prisoners from each side in their first direct peace talks since the early weeks of Moscow's 2022 invasion. That meeting lasted only two hours and brought no breakthrough in efforts to stop the fighting. The swap was taking place at the border with Belarus in northern Ukraine, according to a Ukrainian official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly. The released Russians were taken to Belarus for medical treatment, the Russian Defence Ministry said. The exchange, which also would be the biggest swap of Ukrainian civilians at one time, did not appear to herald any halt in fighting. Russia launched two ballistic missiles at infrastructure in the southern Ukrainian port of Odesa, killing one worker and injuring eight others – four critically, according to regional governor Oleh Kiper. It was the first recorded attack on the port since March 11. Fighting continues along the 620-mile front line, where tens of thousands of soldiers have been killed, and neither country has relented in its deep strikes. News of the prisoner release emerged when US president Donald Trump said Russia and Ukraine had carried out a large exchange. Russian servicemen (Russian Defence Ministry Press Service via AP) 'A major prisoners swap was just completed between Russia and Ukraine,' Mr Trump said on the Truth Social platform. He said it would 'go into effect shortly.' He added in the post that 'this could lead to something big???' — apparently referring to other diplomatic efforts to stop the fighting. After the May 16 talks, Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan called the prisoner swap a 'confidence-building measure' and said the parties had agreed in principle to meet again. But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that there has been no agreement yet on the venue for the next round of talks as diplomatic manoeuvering continued. European leaders have accused Russian president Vladimir Putin of dragging his feet in peace efforts while he tries to press his larger army's battlefield initiative and capture more Ukrainian land. The Istanbul meeting revealed both sides clearly remained far apart on key conditions for ending the fighting. One such condition for Ukraine, backed by its Western allies, is a temporary ceasefire as a first step toward a peaceful settlement. The Kremlin has pushed back on a temporary halt to hostilities, and Mr Putin has said any such truce must come with a freeze on Western arms supplies to Ukraine and an end to Ukraine's mobilisation drive. A senior Ukrainian official said in Istanbul that Russia had introduced new, 'unacceptable demands' to withdraw Ukrainian forces from huge swaths of territory. The official, who was not authorised to make official statements, spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. The proposal had not been previously discussed, the official said. Mr Putin has long demanded as a key condition for a peace deal that Ukraine withdraw its troops from the four regions that Russia annexed in September 2022 but never fully controlled. Mr Zelensky has warned that if Russia continues to reject a ceasefire and make 'unrealistic demands,' it will signal deliberate efforts to prolong the war — a move that should bring tougher international sanctions. Russia's Defence Ministry said it had shot down 788 Ukrainian drones away from the battlefield between May 20-23. Ukraine's air force said Russia fired 175 Shahed and decoy drones, as well as a ballistic missile since late Thursday.
