Russians lay landmines remotely in border village in Sumy Oblast

Russian troops are laying landmines remotely in Hrabovske, a village near the border in Sumy Oblast, to prevent Ukrainian counterattacks.

Source: Viktor Trehubov, head of communications for the Joint Forces Operation, on Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne

Quote: "The Russians have entered the area and are deploying landmines remotely to prevent Ukrainian counterattacks. It seems to me that they'd planned to go further, to advance into Sumy Oblast, but it didn't work out. That's why they are creating such a small outpost in Hrabovske. However, it really is just right on the border."

Details: Trehubov added that the Russians have attempted to "probe" the border in other places as well, some of them "quite far" from Hrabovske.

"I think this was an attempt by the Russians to 'probe' Sumy Oblast, to break through in the southern part as well. Russian troops began to actively push forward there about two weeks ago," he said.

Background:

• At the end of December, Russian troops infiltrated Ukraine near Hrabovske on the border with Russia and took more than 50 civilians away. Ukraine's General Staff reported that "stabilisation measures" were ongoing there.
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the Russians had captured 52 civilians from the village, including some children, as well as 13 Ukrainian soldiers.
• In early January, Ukraine's State Border Guard Service reported that Russian forces had reduced their assault activity in Sumy Oblast.

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