Russian forces have seized four villages in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region, local officials confirmed Tuesday, in what appears to be an expansion of Moscow’s ground offensive near the border. The move follows President Vladimir Putin’s renewed call for a “security buffer zone” to protect Russia’s Belgorod region from Ukrainian attacks.
While residents in the newly occupied villages were previously evacuated and face no immediate danger, Ukrainian forces are actively trying to hold the line. The advance coincides with a temporary decrease in Russian aerial attacks, with only 60 drones launched over 24 hours compared to a record 355 drones fired in a single night over the weekend.
Meanwhile, Russia claimed to have downed 99 Ukrainian drones overnight across multiple regions, underscoring the continued intensity of drone warfare on both sides. Despite recent diplomatic efforts — including prisoner exchanges and talks in Turkey — no major breakthroughs have emerged, and Moscow’s latest offensive signals a long-term strategy to strengthen territorial control ahead of any future peace negotiations.
