Moscow Claims Control of New Village in Intensifying Northeast Ukraine Offensive

On Friday, Russia’s military announced that its forces have taken control of another village in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region, where they have ramped up their offensive in recent weeks.

The Defense Ministry reported that the village of Yablunivka, situated approximately nine kilometers (five miles) from the Russian border, is now under their control. This action is part of Moscow’s strategy to establish what President Vladimir Putin refers to as a «buffer zone» within Ukrainian territory.

This advancement occurs alongside Russia’s ongoing dismissal of ceasefire offers, as it insists that Ukraine must relinquish additional territory and forego Western military assistance as prerequisites for peace.

During the initial phase of its invasion in 2022, Russia sought to capture the regional capital, Sumy, but was pushed back by Ukrainian forces later that year.

In 2024, Kyiv executed its own cross-border operation into Russia’s southwestern Kursk region, utilizing Sumy as a launch point. Following the recapture of land in Kursk by Russia earlier this year, Putin has ordered renewed offensives into northeastern Ukraine.

Additionally, on Friday, the Russian Defense Ministry reported the capture of two more villages in the eastern Donetsk region, which Moscow has claimed to annex.