Istanbul: Ukraine claimed on Thursday that its forces have stopped Russian advances in border areas of the country's northeastern region of Sumy, where Moscow claimed it captured multiple settlements over the past weeks.

According to Anadolu Agency, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi stated on Telegram during a visit to the front line that the advance of Russian troops in the Sumy region's border area has been halted as of this week, stabilizing the line of combat contact. Syrskyi argued that Russia's attempts at a 'summer offensive' are failing similarly to the one launched in the Kharkiv region in May 2024. He claimed that Ukrainian forces are employing active defense tactics and regaining control of territory in certain areas of the Sumy border.

Syrskyi further claimed that Ukraine has pinned down about 50,000 Russian troops in the Northern Slobozhanshchyna and Kursk sectors. He noted that Ukraine's offensive actions in the Glushkovsky district of Russia's Kursk border region have prompted Moscow to redeploy some of its troops to the area, thereby reducing its offensive capabilities in Sumy.

He also mentioned that a special group has been created for the defense of the region, and an official has been appointed to oversee the preparation of settlements and communities in Sumy for defense, ensuring their effectiveness.

Russian authorities have not immediately commented on Syrskyi's claims. In April, Russia stated that it had pushed Ukraine out of the Kursk region following Kyiv's incursion in August of the previous year. This led Russian President Vladimir Putin to order the creation of a 'security buffer zone' along the border. Since then, Moscow has claimed control over multiple settlements in the Sumy region, but independent verification remains challenging due to the ongoing conflict, now in its fourth year.