Moscow: Russia’s Ministry of Defence announced on Thursday that its forces had taken control of the village of Zhuravka in Ukraine’s northern Sumy region, near the Russian border. Ukrainian authorities have not confirmed the claim or acknowledged the loss of the settlement.
The village, located opposite Russia’s Kursk region, has been a focal point of intensified Russian air assaults. Moscow has consistently attempted to push Ukrainian forces out of border territories, following a significant cross-border incursion eight months ago that allowed Russian troops to capture swathes of land.
While Ukraine has reported increased military activity along the Sumy border, officials have not addressed the status of Zhuravka. Four days earlier, Russia claimed to have captured Basivka, another village in the region—an assertion Ukrainian officials swiftly denied.
The Russian defence ministry’s latest statement offered no additional details beyond asserting that its troops were in control of Zhuravka. However, Russian state media outlet Tass cited unnamed security sources, stating that the advance has positioned Russian forces closer to Yunakivka. This locality reportedly functions as a logistics hub for Ukrainian forces operating across the border in the Kursk region.
Sumy regional governor Volodymyr Artiukh addressed the recent escalation in a statement to defence officials, emphasizing the surge in attacks.
“Over the past seven days, the Russians have launched 47 assault operations on our defenders’ positions,” Artiukh said in a Facebook post.
“The enemy’s main efforts are focused on the area around the settlements of Zhuravka and Vasivka.”
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Artiukh noted that civilian infrastructure, particularly facilities in the food industry such as meat-packing plants and dairies, had also been targeted. He added that Ukrainian forces still holding positions in Kursk continue to mount strong resistance.
Russia’s push for territorial gains near the border has aligned with President Vladimir Putin’s repeated calls for establishing a buffer zone to protect Russian territory.
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Earlier this week, Russia’s defence ministry released footage allegedly showing the recapture of Guyevo, one of Ukraine’s few remaining positions in the Kursk region.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in a statement this week, acknowledged for the first time that Ukrainian forces are also operating in Russia’s Belgorod region. These operations, he said, are intended to safeguard Ukrainian towns situated along the border.
