Russia claims counter-offensive into Ukraine's Sumy region

Russia claims counter-offensive into Ukraine's Sumy region

Ukraine launched its incursion into Kursk last August, seizing territory as a buffer zone

Russia on Sunday announced it had captured territory in Ukraine's Sumy region for the first time since 2022 in a cross-border offensive, as Kyiv struggles to hold onto territory in Russia's neighbouring Kursk region.

Russia also claimed the recapture of four new villages in its Kursk border region as its troops pushed on against Ukrainian soldiers who had seized territory there.

Kyiv wants to use the territory it holds in Kursk as a potential bargaining chip in any peace negotiations.

US and Ukrainian negotiators are set to meet for talks in Saudi Arabia next week, with US President Donald Trump's administration keen to secure a ceasefire and a "framework" for a peace agreement.

The United States has cut off Ukraine's access to intelligence sharing and satellite data in a bid to force it to negotiate.

The Russian defence ministry said in a briefing that its forces, in a counter-offensive, had "liberated" the small village of Novenke in Sumy near the border with Kursk.

Russia briefly occupied parts of Sumy at the start of its all-out invasion in 2022 but has not conquered any territory there since.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said in mid-February that his forces had entered this part of northeastern Ukraine, a claim branded a "lie" by Kyiv, although it has acknowledged isolated attacks.

Novenke is located about a kilometre (less than one mile) from Kursk and Russian military bloggers said its capture brought troops closer to blocking a major Ukrainian supply route.

- Incursion's 'final phase' -

Kyiv has not yet commented on Russia's claim to have captured Novenke.

But Zelensky said in his evening address Sunday: "I want to thank all our units who are steadfastly and against all odds destroying the occupier, repelling attacks and defending our positions. 

"Diplomacy will be strong only on strong frontline positions. And we are doing our best to ensure that Ukraine's frontline needs are met."

Russia on Sunday announced the recapture of the villages of Lebedevka, Malaya Loknya, Cherkasskoye Porechnoye and Kositsa in Kursk, bringing its troops closer to taking back the Ukraine-held town of Sudzha, about 10 kilometres (six miles) away.

Ukraine launched its incursion into Kursk last August, seizing territory as a buffer zone. 

But since then, Russia has taken back more than two-thirds of the territory.

A Russian army commander, Apti Alaudinov, wrote on Telegram on Saturday that "all units have launched a large-scale offensive across all areas on the Kursk section of the front".

The same day, Ukraine's state Centre for Countering Disinformation denied reports of a "massive breakthrough" by Russia.

A Russian military blogger, Yevgeny Poddubny, wrote on Sunday that the Kursk incursion "is in its final phase".

Prominent Ukrainian journalist Yuriy Butusov wrote on Sunday that holding onto the Kursk territory was no longer tactically justified.

- Gas pipe -

Ukraine's General Staff on Saturday confirmed reports that Russian special forces had used an underground gas pipe to reach the outskirts of the main town controlled by Ukraine in the region, Sudzha.

Kyiv said its aerial reconnaissance had spotted the troops, who were "being detected, blocked and destroyed".

Russian military bloggers wrote that troops crawled some 15 kilometres through a pipe with a diameter of 1.4 metres (4.6 feet).

They hailed the attack as a feat, said the troops had achieved their objective, and that fighting was ongoing in Sudzha.

Russia supplied gas to Europe via Ukraine until January of this year and Sudzha was a hub for transferring and measuring gas.

Russia also claimed the capture of another village in east Ukraine.

Its troops are advancing in the Donetsk region and are close to crossing a symbolic border into the central Dnipropetrovsk region, which so far has been free of fighting.

The defence ministry said troops had taken the village of Kostyantynopil, around 13 kilometres from the regional frontier and 50 kilometres west of the large Russian-held city of Donetsk.

Russia's advances come as the prospect of peace talks appears increasingly likely, with Ukrainian and US negotiators meeting next week in Saudi Arabia.

US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff said his team wanted "to get down a framework for a peace agreement and an initial ceasefire as well" at the talks set for Tuesday.

Zelensky has said Ukraine is "fully committed to constructive dialogue", while wanting its interests to be "taken into account in the right way".

In the German capital Berlin, supporters of Ukraine turned out Sunday evening to demonstrate in front of the Brandenburg Gate, about a minute's walk from the US embassy.

bur/jj/sbk

Originally published as Russia claims counter-offensive into Ukraine's Sumy region