Zelensky Responds to Kadyrov's Claims of Capturing a Village in the Sumy Region

Kadyrov announced the capture of a village bordering the Kursk region near the city of Sumy, but Zelensky did not confirm this. He stated that there was no Russian flag in the settlement in the morning. Ukrainian forces are entirely in control of the situation in the Sumy region, and the Russian side attempted to carry out a 'propagandistic action' in the village of Ryzhevka, President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on his Telegram channel.

'As of this morning, the Russian flag has been destroyed in the village,' he added.

A more severe situation has developed in the direction of Donetsk, Zelensky continued: 'The Ukrainian defense forces are doing everything to stabilize and defend our positions.'

Kadyrov, the leader of Chechnya, announced the capture of Ryzhevka last night. He claimed it was achieved 'without any specific complications in just three days,' and asserted that the Ukrainian armed forces suffered heavy losses. The Ukrainian deepstate project noted that Ukrainian forces were not present in Ryzhevka because the village is in a 'gray zone,' making it impossible to fully control it without taking Tetkino first.

Russian forces left the Sumy and Kyiv regions two years ago in the spring of 2022. Last year, Ukrainian authorities evacuated residents in a five-kilometer zone along the border with Russia in the Sumy region, and this spring, they suggested evacuating residents from a ten-kilometer zone.

The head of Ukraine's military intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, told The New York Times that intense battles may soon break out in the Sumy region.