Latest news with #StateBorderGuardService
Yahoo
15 hours 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
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Russia steps up offensives in Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Sumy oblasts, Syrskyi says
Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on May 31 that Russian forces have ramped up assault operations across key fronts in Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, and Sumy oblasts. "(Russian troops) have notably increased activity in the Zaporizhzhia direction, where they are conducting active offensive actions," Syrskyi said following a strategic meeting assessing military operations in May. According to Syrskyi, Ukraine's Armed Forces are inflicting substantial losses on Russian troops, claiming over 34,000 Russian personnel were killed in May alone. Ukrainian artillery, aviation, and drone systems have been targeting enemy units "even before they reach our positions," he said. While Russia's main efforts remain concentrated on the Pokrovsk, Toretsk and Lyman fronts in Donetsk Oblast, as well as in Ukraine's northeastern Sumy Oblast bordering Russia, Zaporizhzhia has seen an uptick in escalation, Syrskyi noted. He added that Ukrainian forces are reinforcing high-risk areas with reserves and intensifying firepower to repel attacks. In the Sumy Oblast, Russian forces have continued cross-border raids, shelling, and attempted sabotage missions. Ukrainian officials and military analysts warn of a possible new Russian offensive targeting the region. On May 29, State Border Guard Service spokesperson Andrii Demchenko said Russia had amassed "sufficient forces" in neighboring Kursk Oblast to potentially launch an incursion into Sumy. Syrskyi also highlighted Ukrainian cross-border operations, stating that in May, Ukraine struck 58 military targets deep inside Russian territory using long-range DeepStrike systems. These included defense industry facilities producing explosive materials and combat drones. Fighting continues on the Kursk front, where Russia has deployed elite units initially intended for operations in eastern Ukraine. On May 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly visited Kursk Oblast after Moscow declared on April 26 that it had completed a military operation to liberate the territory from Ukrainian incursions. The Ukrainian military said on April 26 some of the areas were still under their control. Read also: Ukrainian drones hit Russian cruise missile factory, SBU source says, in one of largest reported strikes of full-scale war We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Russians complain border regions uninhabitable as Kremlin pushes for buffer zone, Ukraine's military intelligence says
Residents in Russian regions along the Ukrainian border complain the area is increasingly uninhabitable due to the government's actions amid Moscow's attempt to establish a "buffer zone," according to a call intercepted by Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) and posted May 29. Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed on May 22 that he ordered the military to begin creating a "security buffer zone" along the border of Kursk, Bryansk, and Belgorod oblasts. In the call, a resident of Russia's Belgorod Oblast claims that authorities have cut off gas along the border. The speaker predicts mandatory evacuations will follow as living conditions worsen. "Well, in short, it's clear that they're going to kick everyone out of the border areas and create a gray zone," the unidentified individual says. "Gray zones" refer to areas along the border and front lines where there is contested or unclear control. The resident speaking on the call anticipates that the area will become so heavily militarized it will be partitioned from the rest of the region. "Let them make temporary settlements, zones, and that's it. They'll even fence it off with barbed wire," the resident says. Russia's Belogorod Oblast, which borders Ukraine's Sumy, Kharkiv, and Luhansk oblasts, is regularly used as a staging area for Russian attacks on Ukrainian territory. Russian officials have also accused Kyiv of repeatedly launching strikes on the region and the city of Belgorod since the war began. Ukraine launched a small-scale offensive in Belgorod Oblast in late March, marking Kyiv's second cross-border operation in Russian territory after the August 2024 Kursk incursion. Russian forces are now reportedly amassing along the border in preparation for a possible offensive against Ukraine's Sumy Oblast, according to the State Border Guard Service. Moscow has repeatedly indicated plans to create a buffer zone between Ukraine and Russia in the area. Escalated violence along the Sumy border has triggered mass civilian evacuations, with tens of thousands of Ukrainians ordered to leave their homes. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Russia reports 2nd consecutive day of Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
4 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.
Indian Express
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘1000 for 1000': In Russia-Ukraine's largest swap, 303 prisoners exchanged
Ukraine and Russia completed a '1,000 for 1,000' prisoner swap on Sunday, the largest since the war began over three years ago. The exchange, which took place over the span of three days, took place amid heavy ongoing Russian airstrikes on Ukrainian cities. The swap began on Friday and involved mainly prisoners of war, along with 120 civilians from each side. On the final day, both countries exchanged 303 prisoners. 'Today, warriors of our Armed Forces, the National Guard, the State Border Guard Service, and the State Special Transport Service are returning home,' Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a statement on Telegram. Zelenskyy said that the government will bring back all Ukrainians from Russian captivity. 'I thank the team that worked around the clock to successfully carry out this exchange. We will definitely bring back every single one of our people from Russian captivity,' he wrote on X. Вдома. Маємо повернути всіх наших людей з російського полону. 🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦 — Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 25, 2025 The prisoner swap was the only tangible outcome of the first direct talks between Russia and Ukraine in over three years, held on May 16, where no ceasefire agreement was reached. Ukraine, the United States, and other Western nations have called for a 30-day halt to fighting without preconditions to allow for peace talks. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers from both Russia and Ukraine are believed to have been killed or injured in what is now Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II. However, neither side releases accurate casualty figures, news agency Reuters reported. The war has also taken a heavy toll on civilians, with tens of thousands of Ukrainians killed as Russian forces continue to shell and besiege major cities. On Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that once the prisoner exchange was completed, Moscow would be prepared to present Ukraine with a draft proposal for a long-term peace agreement. Russian forces launched a barrage of 367 drones and missiles at Ukrainian cities overnight, including at the capital Kyiv, in the largest aerial attack of the war so far, killing at least 12 people and injuring dozens more, officials said. A sweeping overnight Russian drone-and-missile attack killed at 12 people and injured dozens more across capital city Kyiv, Ukrainian officials said early Sunday. Loud explosions echoed across Kyiv and its outskirts through the night as Ukrainian air defence systems intercepted incoming drones and missiles. Russia used about 367 drones and missiles, making this the largest single attack since the beginning of the war, according to a spokesperson for Ukraine's Air Force. While the number of those injured in the attacks was reported to be at 16 in Kyiv, several homes and businesses were damaged or set ablaze by the falling debris.
