Ukraine's Joint Forces commander explains why Russians are capturing new villages in Sumy Oblast

Mykhailo Drapatyi, Commander of the Joint Forces of Ukraine, has told Ukrainska Pravda that Russian forces are aiming to establish a 20-kilometre "buffer zone" along the border areas of Sumy and Kharkiv oblasts, which is why they are capturing border villages.

Source: Ukrainska Pravda article

Details: Drapatyi said the Russians are "nibbling" at border villages in Sumy Oblast, including areas far from the line of contact. In military terms, these are "tactical diversionary actions" or the so-called "thousand cuts" tactic. These actions are not followed by heavy equipment advances or active assaults.

"This cannot be described as a 'secondary front' or a 'front to draw our forces away'. Each Russian grouping has its own objectives. The Russian Sever (North) Group of Forces, facing us in Sumy and Kharkiv oblasts, considers this a buffer zone, or as they call it, a 'zone of influence'," he said.

Drapatyi added that "we have identified 12 areas where the enemy – using forces ranging from an assault company to possibly a battalion – will try to expand their control".

"This will include the Krasnopillia, Velyka Pysarivka and Zolochiv fronts," he specified.

Background:

• Earlier in March, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that negotiations with Russia do not involve exchanging border areas in Sumy and Kharkiv oblasts for territory in Donetsk Oblast.
• "We cannot compare these lands. When we talk about border areas, it is very difficult for the enemy to hold them. The Russians clearly understand that they cannot hold them, and the moment will come when we push them out of these territories. But Donbas is a goal for Russia. They have not changed their objectives – their appetite has decreased slightly, but only for now. We are not talking about exchanging small border territories [in Sumy and Kharkiv oblasts] for the large territory of Donbas," he said.

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