Russian breakthrough in Sumy Oblast: fighting with around 100 Russian soldiers continues in Hrabovske

Around 100 Russian soldiers have entered the village of Hrabovske in Ukraine's Sumy Oblast and attempted to advance towards Riasne. As of 23 December, fighting is ongoing in the settlement.

Source: Lieutenant Colonel Viktor Trehubov, Head of Communications for Ukraine's Joint Forces, speaking on Suspilne. Studio

Details: The officer said that "the attack was sudden". Russian troops entered Hrabovske (from where the Russians abducted 52 civilians) and attempted to seize the village with further movement towards Riasne.

"At present, Russian units are entrenching themselves in the southern part of Hrabovske. Ukrainian forces are trying to dislodge them from their positions. Fighting is ongoing in the village," Trehubov said.

He also expressed the view that settlements located directly on the border with Russia, from which it is possible to enter Russian territory on foot, can likely be secured only if a zone of control by Ukrainian forces is created several kilometres deep inside Russian territory.

Background:

• Earlier, Kordon.Media reported that on the night of 19-20 December, Russian forces entered the border village of Hrabovske in Sumy Oblast.
• The outlet also wrote that "as of the evening of 20 December, enemy infantry is present in Riasne".
• The following day, the Armed Forces of Ukraine confirmed that Russian forces had crossed the state border near Hrabovske and forcibly took over 50 civilians to Russia. The military reported that stabilisation measures are currently underway there. The General Staff said that "stabilisation measures" are ongoing there. Meanwhile, the Armed Forces of Ukraine denied reports of the Russians advancing towards Riasne.
• Meanwhile, according to Ukrainska Pravda, the breakthrough by Russian troops was not a single, one-off incident. Attempts to assault the section of the Sumy Oblast border near Hrabovske have been ongoing for several days.
• The DeepState, a Ukrainian group of military analysts, reported that a group of Ukrainian fighters 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. Officially, Ukraine's Joint Forces have not commented on this information.

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