Russia’s defence ministry announced on Thursday that its troops had taken control of the village of Zhuravka in Ukraine’s northern Sumy region, near the shared border.
Ukrainian authorities, however, have not confirmed the loss of the village or issued any direct response regarding its capture.
The region, located opposite Russia’s Kursk area, has experienced frequent airstrikes from Moscow.
Russia has been attempting to push out remaining Ukrainian troops from this area, following a cross-border incursion eight months ago during which Russian forces seized significant territory.
Ukrainian sources have reported increased Russian activity near the border but offered “no acknowledgement that Zhuravka had fallen into Russian hands.”
Just four days earlier, Moscow claimed it had seized another village in the area, Basivka. Ukrainian officials, however, denied that report.
In its latest statement, the Russian defence ministry provided no additional details apart from confirming that its troops were now in control of Zhuravka.
Meanwhile, Sumy regional governor Volodymyr Artiukh addressed defence personnel, noting that Russian assaults had surged significantly in recent days.
“Over the past seven days, the Russians have launched 47 assault operations on our defenders’ positions.
“The enemy’s main efforts are focused on the area around the settlements of Zhuravka and Vasivka,” Artiukh stated in a message shared on Facebook.
He added that Russian forces continued to strike civilian infrastructure, with recent attacks targeting food processing facilities, including “meat-packing plants and dairies.”
According to him, Ukrainian troops still positioned near the Kursk region were holding their ground and “delivering a worthy rebuff to the enemy and inflicting significant losses.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin has often indicated that Moscow aims to create a buffer zone along the border to prevent Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory.
Earlier this week, Russia’s defence ministry released a video claiming to show the “recapture of the settlement of Guyevo,” one of the last areas held by Ukrainian troops in the Kursk region.
Separately, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy admitted for the first time that Kyiv’s forces were operating within Russia’s Belgorod region. The operations are aimed at defending Ukrainian towns close to the border from Russian shelling.