Russia claims counter-offensive into Ukraine’s Sumy region

KYIV, Ukraine: 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.