Asger Risom
The Russian Ministry of Defense announced on Thursday that its troops had taken control of Zhuravka, located near the frontier with Russia’s Kursk region.
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Russian forces say they have seized the village of Zhuravka in Ukraine’s northern Sumy region, but Ukrainian officials deny any such loss, as fighting intensifies near the border.
The Russian Ministry of Defense announced on Thursday that its troops had taken control of Zhuravka, located near the frontier with Russia’s Kursk region.
However, Kyiv has yet to confirm the claim, amid ongoing skirmishes and conflicting reports about territorial changes in the area, as reported by Digi24.
Ukraine Reports Intensified Attacks Near Border
Sumy Governor Volodymyr Artiukh acknowledged a spike in Russian assaults, noting a 30% increase in attacks over the past week.
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“In the last seven days, Russian forces launched 47 assault operations on our defensive positions,” he said in a statement.
According to Artiukh, Russian troops are concentrating their efforts around the villages of Zhuravka and Vasivka, targeting not only military outposts but also civilian infrastructure.
Recent attacks struck local food production centers, including meat packing and dairy facilities, he added.
Despite Russia’s claims, Ukrainian officials insist they maintain control in critical areas and continue to resist across the border in Kursk.
“Our forces are delivering strong counterattacks and inflicting heavy losses on the enemy,” Artiukh said.
Conflicting Claims and Border Activity
Earlier this week, Russia claimed it had captured Basivka, another village in Sumy, but that assertion was also denied by Kyiv.
Moscow’s latest statement provided no visual evidence, though state-run agency TASS cited unnamed security sources saying the advance has brought Russian forces closer to Yunakivka, a Ukrainian logistics hub near the border.
On Tuesday, Russia’s defense ministry released footage it said showed the capture of Huta-Studenetska in Ukraine’s Chernihiv region.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has reiterated his ambition to establish a buffer zone along the border.
For the first time this week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky publicly confirmed that Kyiv’s forces are operating inside Russia’s Belgorod region, aiming to disrupt attacks on Ukrainian cities near the border.
