Ukraine has successfully halted a major Russian advance in the northeastern Sumy region, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. In an official update released Saturday, Zelenskiy revealed that over 53,000 Russian troops had been deployed toward the Sumy direction, but Ukrainian forces have managed to hold them back near the border.
“We are stabilizing the situation,” said Zelenskiy. “Fighting is ongoing close to the border, but the enemy has been stopped. Combat operations are no more than 7 kilometers from the border.”
While these battlefield updates haven’t yet been independently verified, they come at a time when Russia is intensifying assaults beyond the eastern Donetsk region. Since early June, Moscow has launched renewed offensives in northeastern Ukraine, pushing toward Sumy and Kharkiv. The Kremlin has reportedly planned to establish a “buffer zone” in these regions, further escalating the ongoing conflict, now entering its fourth year.
In recent weeks, Ukraine has ramped up its own countermeasures, including a daring drone attack that destroyed multiple Russian aircraft and damaged the key Crimean bridge using underwater explosives. Russia responded with heightened airstrikes, including hits on Kyiv and other cities.
Zelenskiy also addressed rumors that Russian forces had breached deep into Ukraine’s central Dnipropetrovsk region. He denied those claims, stating that Russia had only sent small units attempting to create propaganda content — such as photos or videos — to falsely show they had made significant territorial gains.
“These so-called attacks are being repelled,” he said, emphasizing that Ukraine continues to hold the line along more than 1,000 kilometers of active frontlines.
Dnipropetrovsk borders three heavily contested regions — Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia — which are currently partially under Russian occupation. Russia now controls roughly 20% of Ukraine’s territory.
Acknowledging the limits of Ukraine’s military power, Zelenskiy reiterated his call for stricter global sanctions on Russia, pushing for diplomatic pressure that could eventually lead to a negotiated end to the war. Despite previous peace talks in Istanbul, progress has been minimal. The only agreement so far has been a series of prisoner-of-war exchanges.
Zelenskiy confirmed that Ukraine conducted its fourth POW exchange with Russia within a week. Dozens of Ukrainian soldiers who had been in captivity since 2022, many of whom defended Mariupol during early phases of the war, were returned home.
“We continue to bring our people back from Russian captivity,” Zelenskiy posted on Telegram. “The exchanges will continue through June 20 or 21.”
In a sobering update, Ukrainian officials also confirmed the return of 1,200 bodies of fallen soldiers from Russian-controlled areas. These solemn returns underscore the ongoing human cost of the conflict, even as both sides weigh future negotiations.
The war shows no signs of slowing. While Ukraine celebrates halting Russia’s advance in Sumy, the broader conflict continues to evolve — both on the battlefield and behind diplomatic doors.
