Russia advances step by step in Sumy Oblast. The invaders storm in on motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles, says Andrii Demchenko, spokesperson for Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service, Hromadske reports.

Moscow has intensified its use of small assault groups in the region, attempting to break deeper into the Ukrainian territory. Ukrainian defenders are engaged in daily battles, destroying Russian units. Moscow’s main objective is to gain a foothold and await reinforcements.

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Demchenko says Russian forces have expanded the area of activity for their small assault group tactics, especially around the villages of Basivka, Zhuravka, and, more recently, Veselivka and Volodymyrivka settlements.

The Russians are trying to penetrate deeper into our territory by using speed. These are constant Russian actions that we’ve been recording for several weeks now, he explains.

These groups often operate on foot or ride in on light vehicles. Once they cross into Ukrainian territory, they attempt to dig in and wait for reinforcements, with the goal of continuing the offensive with larger forces.

Russian sabotage and reconnaissance groups (SRGs) have been most active in northern Sumy Oblast, near the border with Chernihiv Oblast, and in the south, closer to Kharkiv Oblast. In the central part of the region, Russian forces continue to attempt to breach the border.

“Defense forces and border guards are destroying these groups both during attempted border crossings and troops before the line,” the Border Guard spokesperson adds.

Earlier, Ukrainian authorities reported that Russian forces seized four settlements in the northern region of Ukraine.

Hryhorov emphasized that residents of these villages had long been evacuated, stating there is no threat to civilians. The official did not specify when Russian forces took control of the settlements.