Russia shifts offensive focus, redeploys forces to northern Sumy Oblast — ISW
Russia is moving forces from Donetsk to Sumy Oblast, signaling a shift in the focus of its offensive operations, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) wrote on May 26.
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin earlier announced the creation of a “buffer zone” along the international border with Ukraine, in addition to ongoing efforts to seize Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhya, and Kherson oblasts, ISW noted.
On May 26, Ukrainian military analyst Kostyantyn Mashovets reported that the Russian military command recently redeployed units of the 752nd Motorized Rifle Regiment and the 200th Motorized Rifle Brigade to reinforce Russian troops advancing into northern Sumy Oblast.
According to Mashovets, units of the 200th Brigade are operating near Volodymyrivka (north of the city of Sumy) and in Hordiivka (just north of Volodymyrivka, in Russia), while the 752nd Regiment has been active in the Borova and Lyman directions since at least mid-2024.
ISW has tracked the 200th Brigade’s involvement in the Bakhmut-Chasiv Yar sector — a key Russian offensive axis — since mid-2023, and the institute noted reports of the brigade’s presence near Chasiv Yar as recently as May 6. However, ISW said it has not yet seen independent confirmation of the brigade’s activity in northern Sumy Oblast but will continue monitoring developments.
"The failure of Russian forces to break through Ukrainian defenses west and southwest of Chasiv Yar undermines Russia’s ability to prepare for major offensive operations toward Kostyantynivka and the broader defensive belt in the area," the report wrote.
The redeployment suggests the Russian command may be postponing a major push toward Kostyantynivka. Russia now lacks the operational reserves to simultaneously intensify offensives on multiple fronts.
"Russia’s military leadership may be betting on more favorable conditions for advancement in northern Sumy than near Chasiv Yar," ISW assessed, adding that Moscow appears to be seeking gains in Donetsk while creating a buffer in northern Chernihiv, Sumy, and Kharkiv oblasts.
On May 26, Sumy governor Oleh Hryhorov confirmed that Russian troops had temporarily occupied the settlements of Novenke and Basivka (Yunakivka municipality), as well as Veselivka and Zhuravka (Khotyn municipality).
According to DeepState, as of May 24, Russian forces had occupied 62.6 square kilometers of territory in Sumy Oblast. They’ve entrenched along the Veselivka–Zhuravka–Novenke–Basivka line and continue advancing toward Bilovody. The situation near Loknya remains tense.
The Sumy regional administration urged residents to remain calm and rely only on official sources for information.
Russia’s new offensive in Sumy
In late March, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that Russia was preparing an offensive in Sumy and Kharkiv oblasts, likely to begin in April or May.
In an April 9 interview, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi confirmed that Russia had already effectively launched its offensive in the two oblasts. Ukraine’s General Staff later clarified that this was "a statement of fact, not a cause for panic or hype."
ISW noted that by opening a new front in Sumy, Russia likely seeks to create a buffer zone along the border and could attempt to position artillery close enough to threaten the city of Sumy itself.
On April 11, the then-head of Sumy’s regional administration, Volodymyr Artiukh, said there were no Russian troops inside the oblast at the time. BBC News Ukraine reported that Ukraine was reinforcing the Sumy direction with additional units.
On April 17, President Zelenskyy said that Russia amassed 60,000 troops in the Sumy area.
The military war may be swinging in our favor, but the information war continues.
Just as an army needs soldiers, so does a free society need its journalists to ensure that people have access to honest, trustworthy voices to understand the world around them.
For the past five years, The New Voice of Ukraine has been working tirelessly to push back against Russian narratives and defend democracy. But we cannot do it alone.
Please consider supporting us on Patreon for just $5 a month – your donation does directly to supporting journalists and ensuring that this front of the infowar says solid and defended.
Thank you.
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News
