**Russian Forces Gain Control of Four Border Villages in Ukraine**
As the conflict between Russia and Ukraine continues to escalate, Russian forces have taken control of four settlements in the northern region of Ukraine. According to Oleh Hryhorov, head of the Sumy Oblast Military Administration, the occupied locations include Novenke and Basivka from the Yunakivka community, and Veselivka and Zhuravka from the Khotin community.
These villages have been largely evacuated by their residents, leaving no civilians in harm’s way. However, fighting continues on the outskirts of other nearby settlements, including Vodolahy, Volodymyrivka, Bilovody, Kostyantynivka, Kindrativka, and Loknya. Russian forces are reportedly trying to establish a “buffer zone” around these areas to prevent further Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory.
**Russian Aggression in North Eastern Ukraine**
This development comes as Russian forces have been pushing aggressively into north eastern Ukraine’s Sumy Oblast. Despite previous Ukrainian offensives that penetrated into the southern part of adjacent Kursk Oblast, Russian forces have largely regained control over these previously captured areas.
Hryhorov emphasized that Ukrainian Defense Forces are keeping a close eye on the situation and delivering precise fire strikes on enemy positions. “Our defenders are firmly repelling the enemy’s attacks and preventing further advances into Sumy Oblast,” he said in his Facebook post.
**Territorial Control Estimates**
According to DeepState, an independent Ukrainian project that maintains an interactive map of the war zone, the areas currently under Russian occupation total 62.6 km² and 0.69 km². An additional 36.98 km² is marked as a “gray zone” where neither side has firm control.
The ongoing clashes in these regions demonstrate the complex and fluid nature of the conflict, with both sides vying for territorial gains. As the situation continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how Ukrainian forces will respond to this new development.
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