Sumy Becomes a Danger Zone Amid Relentless Russian Attacks
The security situation in Sumy Oblast has dramatically worsened, as Russian forces launched 113 separate attacks on the region on August 21, injuring five civilians, according to the Sumy Oblast Military Administration. The barrage, which resulted in 256 explosions, has made Sumy a hotspot of conflict in Ukraine.
This escalation comes in the wake of Ukraine's cross-border incursion into Russia’s neighboring Kursk Oblast, which began on August 6. Sumy Oblast, which shares a 245-kilometer (152-mile) border with Kursk, and is adjacent to Russia's Bryansk and Belgorod regions, has seen an increase in violence since the incursion began.
The attacks on August 21 targeted 16 communities across Sumy Oblast, including Khotin, Yunakivka, Myropillia, Bilopillia, Krasnopillia, Velyka Pysarivka, Putyvl, Nova Sloboda, Berezivka, Hlukhiv, Esman, Shalyhye, Druzhbivka, Seredyna-Buda, and Znob-Novhorodske, as well as the regional capital, Sumy.
The Krasnopillia community bore the brunt of the assault, with Russian forces using drones, missiles, and explosives to strike the area, leading to 46 mines being dropped on the town and its surroundings. Three civilians were injured in these attacks. The towns of Hlukhiv and Druzhbivka also saw injuries from drone strikes, with one person hurt in each location. The extent of the injuries has not been detailed by authorities.
Throughout the day, Sumy Oblast was subjected to a relentless onslaught of mortar, artillery, rocket launchers, unguided rockets, and drone attacks. The town of Krasnopillia, with a pre-war population of around 7,700 residents, was particularly hard-hit, with over 60 explosions reported.
In response to the ongoing attacks, Ukrainian authorities have begun evacuating residents from Sumy Oblast. Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko announced on August 20 that plans are in place to evacuate a total of 45,000 people from the region. So far, approximately 21,000 residents, including 5,000 children, have been safely evacuated.
As the conflict intensifies, Sumy Oblast remains a critical and increasingly dangerous frontline in the ongoing war.