Today, there is a lot of news from the Sumy direction. Here, Ukrainian forces in the sector have seized the initiative, moving from a defensive posture to a broad counteroffensive that is steadily reshaping the frontline. The momentum shift is allowing Ukrainian units to dictate the pace of battle, breaking down Russian cohesion and allowing elite enemy forces to be encircled.

Ukrainian advances near villages

Recently, Ukrainian forces started successfully advancing near:

• Kindrativka
• Andriivka
• Oleksiivka
• Yablunivka
• Yunakivka

They have been supported by a series of air strikes against Russian concentrations of forces and effective disruption of enemy reinforcement attempts, with the Russians trying to cross a local lake being targeted by drones.

Russian defensive failures

A Russian military analyst embedded with Russian forces in this sector reported that Russians are suffering from glaring issues with defensive cohesion:

• Fire coordination is ineffective against Ukrainian assaults.
• Requested reinforcements often never arrive.
• Counterattacks are delayed by several days.

Ukrainian commanders are exploiting these weaknesses with precision, forcing Russians into a defensive posture they cannot maintain.

Close-range battle in the forest

Geolocated footage shows Ukrainian special forces approach a Russian position in the forest at close range, offering seven enemy soldiers the opportunity to surrender. They refused and were eliminated in the ensuing firefight, and while clearing the area, inaccurate Russian mortar fire only came down after the Russian soldiers were already eliminated, wounding one soldier who was quickly evacuated and survived his wounds. Enemy documents, weapons, and other equipment were seized, further allowing Ukrainians to take advantage of the collapse of Russian military organization.

Encirclement at Sadky

Nowhere was this more evident than at Sadky, where Ukrainian forces managed to encircle elements of the 51st VDV Brigade, a supposedly elite airborne formation that should not be prone to such breakdowns. Sadky itself remains under Ukrainian control, but reports indicate that Russian soldiers have been trapped and eliminated in the nearby forest spanning 15 square kilometers.

Structural Russian weaknesses

These events are not an isolated failure, but a symptom of a deeper, structural problem within the Russian military in the area. Russia’s operational mindset, long focused on continuous offensives, appears to have eroded its ability to mount an effective defense. In pursuit of gains during the summer offensive, Russian commanders committed vast reserves of armor and manpower, leaving little left to plug gaps when momentum stalled.

Exhausted Russian infantry

The fighting in Kursk was particularly costly: armored vehicles were destroyed in huge numbers, forcing Russia to rely on infantry, motorcycles, and small assault teams. Now in Sumy, most Russian soldiers move on foot, taking them days to reach the frontline, and they can’t respond effectively when Ukrainians attack.

Additionally, North Korean troops were annihilated by Ukrainian cluster munitions 200 soldiers at a time, and the Russian infantry that remains is exhausted, making the Russian Sumy front thinly manned and dangerously vulnerable.

Reinforcements from 810th Naval Infantry Brigade

Faced with this unfolding crisis, Russian command has attempted to reinforce the sector with a battalion from the 810th Naval Infantry Brigade, tasked with stabilizing Kindrativka. Yet this solution may only compound the problem, as this Russian brigade suffered devastating losses during the Kursk battles and is now believed to be operating at only 35 to 45% of its nominal combat strength.

Rather than deploying a cohesive, intact battalion, the likely reality is a composite force cobbled together from remnants of different units, a halfhearted measure that further undermines cohesion and interoperability. While these reinforcements may slow Ukrainian advances temporarily, they lack the depth and organization to mount a meaningful defense.

Strategic outlook

Overall, in Sumy Oblast, the narrative has shifted entirely, and what began as a Ukrainian defensive effort has evolved into offensive momentum that is dismantling Russian positions piece by piece. For Russia, the situation is a bitter reversal, as it was just weeks ago that President Vladimir Putin himself issued aggressive statements about pushing into Sumy and even threatening the regional capital.

Without fresh reserves or a radical change in operational approach, Russia is poised to lose even more ground and with it, any lingering credibility in its ability to threaten the city of Sumy again. Ukrainian defensive plans not only absorbed the initial Russian pressure but have now turned the tide, enabling methodical counterattacks that are pushing Russian forces back across the sector.

In our regular frontline report, we pair up with the military blogger Reporting from Ukraine to keep you informed about what is happening on the battlefield in the Russo-Ukrainian war.