Latest news with #Demchenko
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Russian assault groups expand attacks in Ukraine's Sumy Oblast
Russian forces are deploying small infantry groups to put pressure on Ukrainian defences in Sumy Oblast, aiming to expand their foothold. Source: Andrii Demchenko, State Border Guard Service spokesman, on air during the national 24/7 newscast Quote: "The situation in Sumy Oblast, particularly in Yunakivka and Khotyn hromadas, remains challenging. [Hromada is an administrative unit designating a village, several villages, or a town, and their adjacent territories – ed.]. The enemy continues to exert pressure, using small infantry and assault groups to accumulate forces and conduct operations, attacking Ukrainian defenders' positions on our territory. This has been ongoing, most actively around Basivka and Zhuravka. Recently, the enemy has expanded these efforts westward, targeting settlements like Vasylivka and Volodymyrivka," he said. Demchenko explained that Russian assault groups, often using all-terrain vehicles or motorcycles, attempt to penetrate deep into Ukrainian territory, await reinforcements, and then attack Ukrainian positions. He noted that Russian forces face Ukrainian counterfire not only in Ukraine but also in Russia's Kursk Oblast. Background: Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said in his report for May that the Russian army has become significantly more active on the Zaporizhzhia front and has focused its efforts on Sumy Oblast. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Russia amassed enough troops to attack Ukraine's Sumy Oblast, Border Guard warns
Russia has concentrated a sufficient amount of forces in Kursk Oblast to potentially launch an attack on Ukraine's Sumy Oblast, State Border Guard Service spokesperson Andrii Demchenko said on May 29. The statement comes amid warnings of a new possible Russian offensive this summer as U.S.-mediated peace efforts have failed to produce a ceasefire deal. Russia has become increasingly active in Sumy Oblast after mostly pushing out Ukrainian forces from Kursk Oblast. Ukrainian authorities recently confirmed that Russian forces captured four Sumy Oblast villages close to the border: Novenke, Zhuravka, Veselivka, and Basivka. Speaking on national television, Demchenko said Russia began amassing forces when it attempted to push Ukrainian troops out of Kursk Oblast, where Ukraine launched its operation in August 2024. Russia continues to maintain a force in Kursk Oblast, and Ukraine periodically detects a "certain change in the number of both soldiers and equipment in this area," the spokesperson said. Russia "has enough forces there (in Kursk Oblast) to carry out operations against our border and attempt to attack the territory of Ukraine," he continued. The remarks came days after President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia is accumulating 50,000 troops near Ukraine's northeastern Sumy Oblast, seeking to create a 10-kilometer buffer zone in the area. According to Kyiv, Russia planned to launch an offensive into Sumy Oblast already back in 2024, but the plan was disrupted by Ukraine's incursion into Kursk Oblast. Moscow has repeatedly indicated plans to create a buffer zone between Ukraine and Russia in the area. Read also: Trump holds off on sanctions to push Ukraine-Russia peace efforts We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Almost 50,000 draft-age men detained trying to illegally cross border since 2022, Border Guard says
Around 49,000 draft-age men have been detained at border areas and checkpoints while trying to illegally cross Ukraine's border since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Andrii Demchenko, spokesperson for Ukraine's State Border Guard Service, said on May 21. Ukraine prohibits men aged 18-60 from leaving the country under martial law, which was instituted at the outbreak of Russia's full-scale war in 2022. Illegal border crossing schemes deepen the manpower shortages facing the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which then struggle to hold back the Russian advance at the front. Nearly 45,000 individuals were detained in terrain-based border areas or at checkpoints along the border, while another 4,000 attempted to cross the border using fake documents and other illegal methods, according to the State Border Guard Service. Speaking on air on national television, Demchenko clarified that the figures refer only to the period of martial law in Ukraine. The State Border Guard Service actively cooperates with border guards from neighboring countries and the EU to jointly counter attempts to illegally cross the border, as the number of such cases has "significantly increased" since the beginning of martial law, the spokesperson added. In January, the National Police uncovered nearly 50 schemes for draft-age Ukrainian men to illegally cross the border, charging 60 suspects. Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko admitted last June that dozens of men try to illegally cross the border every day, but Ukrainian authorities have largely avoided providing exact figures. Read also: 'There we go again' — For war-weary Europe, Trump-Putin call yet another signal to 'wake up' We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Russia decreased but didn't cease attacks during Victory Day truce, Ukraine's Border Guard says
Russia did not fully halt its attacks on Ukraine during a self-declared Victory Day ceasefire, continuing daily strikes with various weapons, Andrii Demchenko, spokesperson for Ukraine's State Border Guard Service, said on air on May 12. Previously, Russian President Vladimir Putin unilaterally declared a "humanitarian truce" from midnight May 8 to midnight May 11. President Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed the proposal as a "theatrical performance," accusing Putin of manipulating the international community by declaring brief ceasefires that it has no intention of following. Demchenko said Russian forces continued attacking Ukrainian territory throughout the declared period. "I can confirm that both now and during the so-called three-day ceasefire, (Russia) never fully stopped striking Ukrainian territory," Demchenko said. "Perhaps in some areas, the intensity decreased slightly to create an image of compliance with their own announcement. But in reality, (Russia) continued attacks every day, using all available weapons — including aircraft to drop guided bombs on Ukraine." Ukrainian officials have repeatedly warned that Russia uses ceasefire announcements for propaganda purposes while maintaining offensive operations on the ground. On May 8 alone, the first day of Russia's Victory Day ceasefire, Ukrainian forces faced 117 ground assaults across the front line, according to the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces. Earlier in April, Russia declared a ceasefire over the Easter holiday, though Zelensky accused Moscow of nearly 3,000 violations between April 19 and April 21. Ukraine has also said that Russian forces repeatedly breached a partial truce on attacks against energy facilities brokered by the U.S. on March 25. Read also: Russia rejects European peacekeepers, NATO infrastructure in Ukraine amid potential peace talks, Peskov says We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Saba Yemen
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Saba Yemen
Ukraine warns of security risks of Russian military exercises in Belarus
Kyiv - Saba: Andriy Demchenko, spokesman for the Ukrainian Border Guard Service, has warned that the Russian military exercises scheduled for this summer in Belarus could pose a potential threat to Ukraine, despite the absence of large Russian military formations near the border at present. Demchenko said in a statement reported by the Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform that the situation on the northern border with Belarus does not indicate an immediate threat, but he noted that the announced exercises involving Russian units inside Belarus are worrying. He added: "Although this trend still poses a threat to us, no Russian military group has yet been formed near our border with Belarus. However, these upcoming exercises, especially those taking place inside Belarus, raise the level of danger during their conduct." Demchenko pointed out that Ukrainian forces are closely monitoring any Russian movements inside Belarus, stressing the need to strengthen defensive capabilities along the northern border. He continued, "Our mission is to strengthen our defensive capabilities and closely monitor the situation, both on the border with Belarus and deep within its territory, especially if Russian units are transferred there." Whatsapp Telegram Email Print
