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Russia attempting to gain foothold in Sumy Oblast, Border Guard warns

Russian forces are attempting to establish a foothold near Novenke, a Ukrainian village in Sumy Oblast near the border with Russia's Kursk Oblast, State Border Guard spokesperson Andrii Demchenko said on air on March 10.

The news comes after Russia reportedly achieved a breakthrough in Kursk Oblast, seeking to encircle the Ukrainian forces fighting there and penetrate the Ukrainian border.

"These are small assault units, composed of a few people. They try to penetrate our territory, accumulate forces, and advance further into Ukraine, probably to cut off logistical routes," Demchenko said on national television.

Moscow's troops have been reportedly trying to push toward Novenke, a village lying 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of the regional center, Sumy, for several weeks.

Ukrainian artillery and drone units continue attacking Russian troops, preventing them from accumulating forces, the spokesperson added.

Concerns about the Ukrainian operation in Kursk Oblast, ongoing since August 2024, have mounted over the weekend amid reports of Russian advances. The development came shortly after the U.S. cut off military and intelligence support for Ukraine, allegedly to push Kyiv to the negotiating table.

A potential loss of the Kursk salient or Russian advances in Sumy Oblast would likely weaken Ukraine's negotiating position as it prepares for initial rounds of talks with the U.S. in Saudi Arabia.

Russian forces have begun collapsing the northern part of the Ukrainian Kursk salient, while destroyed bridges complicate Ukraine's ability to withdraw toward the key town of Sudzha, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) think-tank said on March 9.

Moscow has also reportedly deployed North Korean troops in the renewed attack in Kursk Oblast.