Russia pushes within 18 miles of Sumy as Ukraine evacuates 213 villages

On Sunday, June 8, independent war monitors confirmed that Russian troops had advanced to within 18 miles (29 kilometers) of the Ukrainian city of Sumy—marking the closest approach to the regional capital since Ukraine forced Kremlin forces out in its 2022 spring counteroffensive. Kremlin military reports, corroborated by open-source analysts, stated that the village of Loknia near the Russian border was retaken last week, signaling renewed Russian operations in the Sumy region after years of relative calm.

Sumy, located roughly 200 miles northeast of Kyiv and never fully occupied during the early stages of the war, is now at the center of renewed military concern. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had earlier warned that Moscow had massed approximately 50,000 troops in the Sumy direction. The Sumy regional governor, Oleh Hryhorov, announced a mandatory evacuation for 11 more settlements on May 31, bringing the total number of evacuated villages in the region to 213 as of this week.

Why is Russia pushing toward Sumy again?

Russian forces appear to be attempting to re-establish a northern axis of pressure by pushing toward Sumy and securing previously liberated areas near the border. The recapture of Loknia is considered symbolic by Ukrainian analysts, as the village was among the first to be liberated during Kyiv’s counteroffensive in April 2022. This new incursion aligns with broader Russian strategy to stretch Ukraine’s military capacity across multiple fronts—including the northeast, east, and south—before further counterattacks are mounted.

Kyiv’s strategic assessment is that the Russian build-up may be intended to draw Ukrainian forces away from the active eastern front lines or to create panic among local civilian populations in border zones. Hryhorov’s office has issued repeated evacuation directives over the past two weeks, citing escalated artillery strikes, drone incursions, and suspected reconnaissance efforts in northern Sumy oblast.

What is the strategic impact of Russia reaching the Donetsk–Dnipropetrovsk border?

In the east, the Russian Ministry of Defence claimed on Sunday that armored units had reached the western frontier of the Donetsk region and had begun penetrating into Dnipropetrovsk oblast for the first time since 2022. This would represent a symbolic and strategic breakthrough in the three-year war. Ukrainian military sources confirmed that Kostyantynivka—a key logistics hub in Donetsk—is under mounting pressure as Russian forces attempt to build a “bridgehead for an attack” from multiple directions.

A spokesperson for Ukraine’s Southern Defence Forces reported that Russian assaults toward the Dnipropetrovsk region had intensified. The spokesperson said Ukrainian troops were “courageously and professionally holding their section of the front, disrupting the occupier’s plans,” and added that this effort was ongoing “without a minute’s pause.”

Dnipropetrovsk is a vital industrial and logistical region. Its capital, Dnipro, has faced regular missile and drone attacks since the beginning of Russia‘s full-scale invasion, but no ground advances had been confirmed in the oblast until now.

How could Russian ground operations in Dnipropetrovsk shift the war?

The potential entry of Russian ground forces into Dnipropetrovsk would represent both a psychological blow and a strategic risk for Ukraine. Dnipro, the administrative center, is a major transit node for Ukrainian military logistics and humanitarian supply routes. The city also hosts several military-industrial facilities and has been pivotal in supporting the frontlines in Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia.

If confirmed, the movement into Dnipropetrovsk could signal a shift in Moscow’s long-term war aims—moving beyond consolidation in Luhansk and Donetsk to resume offensive activity in deeper central Ukrainian regions. It also comes shortly after Ukraine’s highly publicized Operation Spiderweb, in which Kyiv launched a drone strike deep into Russian territory.

How did Operation Spiderweb trigger a wider escalation?

On Monday, June 3, Ukrainian drone units carried out “Operation Spiderweb,” which struck airfields inside Russian territory and reportedly damaged at least two long-range bomber aircraft. According to Ukrainian military sources, 117 drones were launched at military targets in Russia’s Kursk, Voronezh, and Ryazan oblasts. U.S. officials have since stated that they believe Moscow has not yet executed its full response, warning of a likely “asymmetrical” retaliation in the coming days.

By Friday morning, June 7, Russia launched what Kyiv officials described as one of the most intense aerial attacks of the war, firing 452 drones and 45 cruise or ballistic missiles at multiple Ukrainian cities. Analysts suggest this could be the beginning of a broader retaliatory campaign, though Ukrainian defense officials say much of the incoming fire was intercepted by air defenses.

One senior U.S. intelligence official told Reuters that a second retaliatory strike from Moscow is “inevitable” and may include cyber elements, sabotage campaigns, or massed missile strikes on infrastructure and government installations.

Why have prisoner and body exchanges between Kyiv and Moscow stalled?

Amid rising military tensions, a previously agreed humanitarian exchange between Russia and Ukraine has broken down. The planned exchange was to include more than 1,000 wounded soldiers and young conscripts under the age of 25 from each side, as well as the remains of over 6,000 Ukrainian personnel that Russian officials claim are already collected at border sites.

Russian negotiator Vladimir Medinsky stated via social media that Ukraine had “unexpectedly postponed for an indefinite period both the acceptance of the bodies and the exchange of prisoners of war.” Ukrainian officials from the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War refuted the claim, alleging that Moscow had violated the terms by including names of individuals who were not eligible under the agreement.

Kyiv called on Moscow to return to a “constructive dialogue” and accused Russia of “playing dirty games” with the emotional and political sensitivities surrounding prisoner releases and the return of the war dead.

What happens next in Ukraine’s multi-front war?

With Russian ground troops reportedly less than 30 kilometers from Sumy and escalating attacks in eastern Ukraine, Kyiv is facing renewed pressure to adjust its defense posture. Analysts expect the Kremlin’s next move will depend heavily on Ukrainian responses in both the Sumy and Donetsk sectors, and whether Western nations accelerate the delivery of promised air defense systems and long-range weapons.

U.S. officials believe Russia may be preparing another wave of missile and drone attacks to follow up last week’s bombardment. Ukraine’s General Staff has warned residents across major cities to prepare for continued night-time air alerts.

Meanwhile, talks in Istanbul remain in limbo, with no new date announced for the resumption of humanitarian exchanges. Diplomats from Türkiye and the United Nations have urged both parties to recommit to prior agreements to avoid further erosion of goodwill.