Occupiers control four settlements in Sumy region, there are no civilians there – OVA
The Russians control four settlements in the Sumy region. There is no threat to civilians, as they have been evacuated, said the head of the regional administration (OVA), Oleh Hrygorov.
According to him, today, the settlements of Novenke and Basivka of the Yunakivska community and Veselivka and Zhuravka of the Khotynska community are under the control of the Russian Federation in the territory of Sumy region.
"The residents of these villages were evacuated a long time ago, there is no threat to the civilian population there," Grigorov noted.
The official noted that the invaders continue to attempt to advance in order to create a so-called "buffer zone" – fighting continues on the outskirts of the village of Vodolagy and near Volodymyrivka, Bilovodi, Kostyantynivka, and Kindrativka of the Khotyn community, as well as on the outskirts of Loknia of the Yunakiv community.
"The Ukrainian Defense Forces and all components of the defense forces are keeping the situation under control, inflicting precise fire damage on the enemy. Our defenders are resolutely repelling enemy attacks and preventing them from advancing deep into the territory of Sumy region," the head of the OVA noted.
This is how the Ukrainian analytical project Deepstate records the situation: 62.6 square kilometers (24.1 square miles) are occupied, the gray zone is almost 37 square kilometers (14.2 square miles).
- It should be emphasized that this occupation did not occur all at once: in early April 2025, the Russian Federation announced the alleged occupation of Basivka, which Ukraine denied. Until recently, Deepstate recorded the territory as a gray zone, but on May 24 reported that the occupiers had managed to gain a foothold. Grigorov’s new statement is the first official confirmation of this from the Ukrainian authorities.
- "The Defense Forces managed to somewhat stabilize the sharp advance into the depths of Sumy Oblast, and the crews are destroying the infantry every day and every night, which is climbing like locusts, trying, albeit with great losses, to occupy more territory, because after pushing us out of Kurshchyna, they planned to create a "buffer zone" in Sumy Oblast, which is quite logical and expected in this scenario of events," Deepstate analysts described the situation.
- On May 26, the spokesman for the State Border Guard Service, Demchenko, reported that in the Sumy region, Russian invaders are expanding the areas of entry of small assault groups.
