Russians abduct and take away residents of another village in Sumy Oblast, local journalists say
The Russians have taken about two dozen residents of the border village of Sopych in Sumy Oblast to Russia, a local media outlet has reported.
Source: Sumy-based outlet Kordon.Media
Quote: "Residents of the village of Sopych were taken to Russia. This concerns 19 locals – exactly that many refused evacuation and remained in the border village in the Esman hromada [an administrative unit designating a village, several villages, or a town, and their adjacent territories – ed.]."
Details: It is noted that interviews with these residents were shown on the Russian propaganda channel Vesti.
According to Kordon.Media, these people are indeed residents of the village of Sopych with whom contact had previously been lost.
In total, in recent years the village had about 300 residents, but they gradually began leaving the border area, with 19 people staying and submitting statements refusing evacuation.
Ukrainska Pravda has asked the State Border Guard Service for comment.
Background:
- Kordon.Media reported on 20 December 2025 that Russian troops had entered the border village of Hrabovske in Sumy Oblast.
- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on 22 December 2025 that in the village of Hrabovske Russian troops had taken 52 civilians captive, including children, and also captured 13 servicemen of the defence forces.
- The next 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 over 50 civilians from there. It was noted that "stabilisation measures" were ongoing there.
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