Kyiv (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – On Sunday, Ukrainian defence forces confirmed that they had reclaimed a village in the north-eastern Sumy region of Ukraine from Russian forces. The village is adjacent to the Russia-Ukraine border.
Ukraine’s General Staff stated it had regained control of Bezsalivka village, less than 1 kilometre from the border between Ukraine and Russia in the northeast. The Russian Defence Ministry announced that it regained control of the settlement on July 7.
About 48 kilometres northwest of Sumy, the regional centre of administration, the village has periodically faced Russian airstrikes throughout the protracted Russia-Ukraine crisis that has extended to four years.
What does the Sumy front mean for the wider war?
As reported, the combat in the Sumy region of Ukraine has substantially changed the global frontlines of the war by widening and deepening the northern front. Russian forces have gathered unconventionally 50,000 troops around Sumy, at least three times the size of the local Ukrainian forces, aiming to push further still into northern Ukraine and secure a “security buffer zone” along the border.
Buildup has extended the front line more than 750 miles, with Moscow’s shift in troop activity from the southeast to the northern Sumy area leading to an increase of over 100 miles over the past twelve months.
In the last few months, Russian troops have seized several villages north of Sumy, and the frontline itself has now moved considerably closer to Sumy, putting the city within range of drone and missile strikes.
While Ukraine has made some limited counterattacks, including re-capturing the village of Andriivka, Russia has sustained attacks on vital targets located near Sumy. It has ongoing efforts to penetrate Ukraine’s defences in Yunakivka. They are seeking to control terrain that enables them to shell Sumy city and commit Iranian drone attacks that terrify civilians.
How did Ukraine also retake Kindrativka village?
As well as recapturing the village of Bezsalivka in the north-east Sumy region, Ukrainian forces have recaptured the village of Kindrativka, close to Sumy city, after heavy fighting. Ukrainian troops completely freed Kindrativka by late July 2025 through their offensive actions, which were labelled one of their biggest ground successes in the area.
