2025 Sumy offensive

In an effort to counter Ukraine's 2024 offensive in Kursk, in early 2025 Russian forces launched a cross-border offensive from Russia into Ukraine's adjacent Sumy Oblast.

On 10 January 2025, Russian troops crossed the international border into Ukraine's Sumy Oblast, advancing west of Zhuravka. However, a few days later, the Ukrainian military claimed their forces had successfully pushed back the Russian attack.

In mid-February, Russian forces launched another cross-border incursion, claiming to have entered the villages of Novenke and Basivka. The former village was captured within a few days.

By the end of February, Ukraine's Center for Combatting Disinformation acknowledged the presence of Russian forces, while DeepState described Basivka and Novenke as "gray zones."

Throughout 2024, Russian forces had launched limited cross-border attacks in Sumy Oblast, targeting the villages of Zhuravka, Chuikivka, Rozhkovychi, and Sytne, but all attempts ended in failure. Russian troops raided the village of Ryzhivka in June 2024, located near the border, close to the Russian settlement of Tyotkino. Geolocation footage confirmed that Russian troops had entered the village and advanced approximately 730 meters into Ukraine. However, the next day, Russian forces withdrew from the area.

On 6 August 2024, Ukrainian forces launched an offensive into Russia's Kursk Oblast and occupied part of the region. On 15 August, they captured the town of Sudzha. Around the same time, Ukrainian military commander Oleksandr Syrskyi announced the establishment of a military administration in the occupied areas of Kursk Oblast, which was led by Major General Eduard Moskaliov as the head of the military command office.

On 19 February 2025, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on a televised broadcast that the 810th Brigade had crossed the border between the Russian Federation and Ukraine, entering Sumy Oblast. However, this claim was denied by the head of Ukraine's Center for Combatting Disinformation, Andriy Kovalenko, as well as senior Ukrainian military officials.^{[excessive citations]}

The following day, Russian sources reported that soldiers from the 810th Brigade had successfully entered Basivka, while Ukrainian sources confirmed that Russian forces had stormed the border in the Sumy Oblast. Later, on 25 February, Russian forces again claimed that they had seized Novenke and were making progress toward northern Zhuravka. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian military acknowledged that Russian troops had crossed the border near Novenke but stated that they had successfully pushed them back into Russian territory.