Ukrainian Forces halt Russian advances on Sumy front, launch counterattacks
Deputy Head of the Sumy Regional Council Volodymyr Bitsak announced that Russian advances have been halted, with Ukrainian forces launching a counter-operation. During a broadcast on "Kyiv 24", he confirmed that Ukrainian forces are now in control of part of the Kondrativka settlement and have also liberated Andriivka.
Meanwhile, Russian forces attempted to cut off a key Ukrainian supply line, the Yunakivska road, but were thwarted by Ukrainian defenders. Bitsak assured that the route remains "under our control" despite enemy FPVs targeting it.
"Thanks to both artillery and aicraft, which are in constant operation, the situation is not as dire as the Russians claim in their publications," Bitsak noted.
He further explained that Ukrainian forces are executing counter-operations to oust Russians from the area. This includes advance operations towards Russia, specifically in the direction of Tetkino. He added that areas like Kostyantynivka, Basivka, and Yunakivka are under Russian counterattack attempts, with 30 such assaults occurring in the past day alone.
Earlier, military journalist Yuriy Butusov reported a few days ago that Russian troops continued their advances in the Sumy region due to the absence of defensive lines. He predicted the Russians would continue to push forward until reaching densely wooded areas located just 15-20 kilometers from Sumy. Additionally, Roman Kostenko, Secretary of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security, Defense, and Intelligence, stated that many existing fortifications fail to meet modern requirements and do not provide adequate defense against drones. He noted that this front line advance resulted from the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from the Kursk bridgehead, which was unexpected.