Vadym Mysnyk, a spokesman for the Siversk military group, announced that restrictions on the movement of all categories of citizens within a 20-kilometer zone have been imposed in Sumy Region. This measure is a response to the increased intensity of hostilities and the activation of subversive groups.
He provided more details during an interview with Hromadske Radio:
«The enemy continues to maintain a military presence in Sumy Region. In recent days, the intensity of hostilities has escalated. The Russians are conducting air strikes not only in the border area but also on Sumy and other cities. The Ukrainian Armed Forces are in control of the situation and are taking operational measures. The regional city administration is organizing and conducting evacuations of civilians from the border communities affected by the shelling. Restrictive measures, such as movement restrictions, are being implemented to save the lives of both civilians and military personnel.»
According to Vadym Mysnyk, the Sumy Regional Military Administration is responsible for evacuating the local population.
«There are settlements here that are directly adjacent to the Russian border. The presence of civilians in these areas imposes certain limitations on our full-scale combat operations. Therefore, we are evacuating civilians from these settlements. However, some people remain in each of them, mostly elderly individuals. Occasionally, we have to carry out emergency evacuations when the shelling intensifies. In previous months, there were instances where Russians, including the Akhmat forces, entered these border settlements.»
Subversive Reconnaissance Groups
Vadym Mysnyk noted that the enemy has consistently used subversive reconnaissance groups in their area of responsibility, which includes the Chernihiv and Sumy regions. The natural environment in these areas—large forests, small rivers, and marshland—provides favorable conditions for such operations.
The enemy carefully prepares for their operations by conducting several days of training, reconnaissance, and coordinating air and artillery support. In response, Ukrainian military have developed highly effective countermeasures. Both personnel and equipment are well-trained and well-prepared to handle such threats.
«Indeed, the enemy is relocating some forces. Alongside conscripts, there are units from Akhmat and the Sever group. They have been moving parts of their units from one direction to another, for example, to the Kursk region.»
It is noted that intense fighting is currently taking place in the Sumy sector, with significant troop movements. The enemy may deploy subversive agents or subversive reconnaissance groups, which is why we are implementing additional preventive filtering measures.