DeepState: Russians advance in Sumy and Donetsk oblasts

Russian forces have advanced near the settlements of Yunakivka in Sumy Oblast and Sviato-Pokrovske in Donetsk Oblast.

Source: DeepState, a Ukrainian group of military analysts

Details: DeepState reports that the Russians have made advances near the village of Yunakivka in the Sumy district in Sumy Oblast, as well as near the village of Sviato-Pokrovske in the Bakhmut district in Donetsk Oblast.

Background:

• On 22 December, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russian forces had taken 52 civilians captive from the village of Hrabovske in Sumy Oblast, including children, and had also captured 13 members of Ukraine's defence forces.
• Earlier, Kordon.Media, a local news outlet in Sumy Oblast, reported that on the night of 19-20 December, Russian troops entered the border village of Hrabovske in the Krasnopillia district of Sumy Oblast, located directly on the state border.
• The following day, the Armed Forces of Ukraine confirmed that Russian troops had crossed Ukraine's state border near the village of Hrabovske in Sumy Oblast, on the border with Russia, and had taken more than 50 civilians from the area. The General Staff said that "stabilisation measures" are ongoing there.
• DeepState said that a group of Ukrainian soldiers holding the border section in the village of Hrabovske in Sumy Oblast had acted irresponsibly when carrying out their tasks, which allowed Russian forces to enter the area.
• On 5 December, on the Siversk front, Russian forces shot dead a Ukrainian serviceman while taking him prisoner.
• Operational Command Zakhid (West) reported that their footage showed a serviceman from the 10th Separate Mountain Assault Brigade Edelweiss. They added that the Russians had carried out a covert infiltration near Sviato-Pokrovske into the battle formations of the defence forces, taking advantage of weather conditions.

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