Russia on Sunday introduced a cross-border offensive had captured territory in Ukraine’s Sumy area for the primary time since 2022 as Kyiv struggles to carry onto territory in Russia’s neighboring Kursk area.
Russia additionally claimed a brand new village within the Kursk area as its troops driven on towards Ukrainian squaddies who had seized territory there.
Kyiv needs to make use of the territory it holds in Kursk as a possible bargaining chip in any peace negotiations.
U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators are set to fulfill for talks in Saudi Arabia subsequent week, with U.S. President Donald Trump’s management willing to agree on a ceasefire and a “framework” for a peace settlement.
The U.S. has bring to an end Ukraine’s get right of entry to to intelligence sharing and satellite tv for pc knowledge in a bid to power it to barter.
The Russian Protection Ministry mentioned in a briefing that its forces, in a counteroffensive, had “liberated” the small village of Novenke in Sumy close to the border with Kursk.
Russia in brief occupied portions of Sumy originally of its all-out invasion in 2022 however has now not conquered any territory there since.
Russian President Vladimir Putin mentioned in mid-February that his forces had entered this a part of northeastern Ukraine, a declare branded a “lie” via Kyiv, despite the fact that it has stated remoted assaults.
Novenke is positioned a couple of kilometre (not up to one mile) from Kursk and Russian army bloggers mentioned its seize introduced troops nearer to blocking off a significant Ukrainian provide direction.
Kyiv has now not but commented on Russia’s declare to have captured Novenke.
Incursion’s ‘ultimate segment’
Ukraine’s Middle for Countering Disinformation on Saturday denied stories of a “large step forward” via Russia, pronouncing its forces have been destroying small teams seeking to move the border.
Russia on Sunday introduced the recapture of the village of Lebedevka in Kursk, bringing its troops nearer to taking again the Ukraine-held the town of Sudzha, about 10 kilometres away.
Ukraine introduced its incursion into Kursk closing August, seizing territory as a buffer zone.
However since then, Russia has taken again greater than two-thirds of the territory.
A Russian military commander, Apti Alaudinov, wrote on Telegram on Saturday that “all gadgets have introduced a large-scale offensive throughout all spaces at the Kursk phase of the entrance.”
A Russian army blogger, Yevgeny Poddubny, on Sunday wrote that the Kursk incursion “is in its ultimate segment.”
Outstanding Ukrainian journalist Yuriy Butusov wrote on Sunday that retaining onto the Kursk territory used to be not tactically justified.
Fuel pipe
Ukraine’s Basic Body of workers on Saturday showed stories that Russian particular forces had used an underground fuel pipe to achieve the outskirts of the principle the town managed via Ukraine within the area, Sudzha.
Kyiv mentioned its aerial reconnaissance had noticed the troops, who have been “being detected, blocked and destroyed.”
Russian army bloggers wrote that troops crawled some 15 kilometres via a pipe with a diameter of one.4 metres.
They hailed the assault as a feat, mentioned the troops had completed their purpose, and that preventing used to be ongoing in Sudzha.
Russia equipped fuel to Europe by the use of Ukraine till January of this yr and Sudzha used to be a hub for moving and measuring fuel.
Russia additionally claimed the seize of every other village in east Ukraine.
Its troops are advancing within the Donetsk area and are with reference to crossing a symbolic border into the central Dnipropetrovsk area, which up to now has been freed from preventing.
The Defence Ministry mentioned troops had taken the village of Kostyantynopil, round 13 kilometres from the regional frontier and 50 kilometres west of the huge Russian-held town of Donetsk.
Russia’s advances come as the possibility of peace talks seems increasingly more most probably, with Ukrainian and U.S. negotiators assembly subsequent week in Saudi Arabia.
U.S. Center East envoy Steve Witkoff mentioned his group sought after “to get down a framework for a peace settlement and an preliminary ceasefire as smartly” on the talks set for Tuesday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has mentioned Ukraine is “totally dedicated to optimistic discussion,” whilst in need of its pursuits to be “taken under consideration in the suitable manner.”
