Russia has activated its summer offensive in Ukraine, relying increasingly on new technologies, the Financial Times reports.
Currently, around 695,000 Russian troops are deployed in Ukraine. On the Sumy axis alone, about 52,000 Russian soldiers have been concentrated. According to Ukrainian officials, 23% of all Russian aerial bomb attacks across the frontline are now focused on this region. The strikes include both guided bombs and an increasing number of North Korean missiles.
A key element of Russia’s advance is the use of fiber-guided drones, which can avoid detection by electronic warfare by not emitting radio signals.
These drones have proven effective in striking Ukrainian logistics targets 30–40 km behind the frontlines. They’ve destroyed supply trucks and depots on the Kramatorsk–Dobropillia road.
Ukrainian commanders near Siversk have responded by banning daytime vehicle movement, allowing only “gray zone” or nighttime transit.
Military analyst Emil Kastehelmi of Black Bird Group notes that while a Russian breakthrough is unlikely in the near term, Moscow’s pace may accelerate.
“Careful management of reserves is a key factor for Ukraine this summer, where to put them and how to manage them so that emerging crises do not become catastrophes,” he says.
Recently, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukrainian forces were pushing Russian troops out of Sumy Oblast.
He also emphasized that a lack of Russian battlefield success may encourage US President Donald Trump to apply new sanctions on Moscow, which it tries to avoid.