Russian forces advance near two settlements in Sumy and Donetsk oblasts

The analysts updated interactive map of combat operations in Ukraine.

Situation in Sumy Oblast

On Nov. 20, Kordon.Media outlet reported that 50 civilians from the village of Hrabovske in Sumy Oblast were forcibly taken into Russia for so-called “filtration procedures.”
Journalists, citing their own sources, also reported further movement of Russian units toward the hamlet of Vysokyi and the village of Riasne.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported that on Dec. 20, Russian forces continued offensive operations in northern Sumy Oblast but did not achieve confirmed advances.
At the same time, Russia’s Defense Ministry and war military bloggers claimed that Russian troops captured Vysoke and Hrabovske. Analysts noted that they did not observe significant activity along this stretch of the border since late summer 2025.

On Dec. 21, Viktor Trehubov, head of communications for the Joint Forces grouping, said the border crossing by Russian troops near Hrabovske — and the forced deportation of civilians — appeared to resemble a local provocation.

That same day, Dmytro Lykhoviy of the Armed Forces’ Communications department said Ukrainian Defense Forces had withdrawn from several positions near Hrabovske as stabilization measures were ongoing.
He reported that the civilians taken into Russia were mostly elderly men and women — the oldest being 89 years old — and that nearly all of them earlier refused evacuation deeper into Ukrainian territory.

On Dec. 21, Ukraine’s Defense Forces stated that fighting was ongoing in Hrabovske, while no Russian troops were present in neighboring Riasne.