Border skirmishes in the Russian invasion of Ukraine
A series of border skirmishes has taken place along the Russia–Ukraine border in Sumy and Chernihiv Oblasts since the withdrawal of Russian troops from northern Ukraine. Ukrainian officials have stated that strikes across the border happen daily.
Background.
By the 4th of April 2022, Russian forces had withdrawn from the Sumy Oblast following the failure of the Russian offensive towards Kyiv, but shelling still continued across the border.
Incidents.
March 2022.
Local authorities in the Kursk Oblast announced on 29 March that a border checkpoint had been shelled from Ukrainian territory. The location in Ukraine from which the shelling was carried out was reportedly struck in return.
The same day, according to Sumy Oblast governor Dmytro Zhyvytskyi, the Russian military blew up one of its own BTRs at the Ryzhivka border checkpoint, in order to provide a justification to destroy the Ukrainian border post there.
April 2022.
The governor of the Kursk Oblast announced that a border post in the Sudzhansky District had been shelled by mortars on 5 April, and that the points of origin, presumably in Ukraine, had been fired on in retaliation. On 9 April, he announced that another border post had been shelled by mortars, this time in Yelizavetovka. The Russian border service and military returned fire into Ukraine.
On 14 April, the Russian military shelled the village of Popivka, Okhtyrka Raion.
According to the Ukrainian Border Guard Service, Russian troops fired at the Chernihiv Oblast twice on 28 April. The following day, more than 30 mortars were fired into the Sumy Oblast from the Russian settlement of Gorodishche. Explosions were reported in the Shostka Raion.
May 2022.
The Russian military shelled Hlukhiv with rocket launchers on 8-9 May, damaging a Jewish cemetery.
On 12 May, a civilian was killed due to the shelling. On 13 May, Russia fired on a border village in the Shostka district using unguided air missiles.
As shelling continued, Russian forces defeated a few elements of the Ukrainian Border Guard and entered Shostka district on 16 May. Fighting continued until 17 May, when the Russian forces withdrew.
On 17 May 2022, an airstrike by the Russian Air Force hit the Desna barracks in Desna, killing 87. The next day, ten explosions were heard in Hlukhiv.
On 21 May, 6 Russian air strikes and artillery hit the border settlement of Kucherivka.
Planes of the Russian Air Force hit two villages in Shostka on 24 May.
On 28 May, Russian warplanes targeted the Ukrainian border and fired on the border with mortars from the Russian village of Troebortnoe.
Russian forces used flechettes on border villages in the Shostka district on 30 May. The flechettes were used to previously kill civilians in Bucha during the Battle of Bucha earlier in the war. Russian forces shelled a village all night. According to Kyiv Independent, Russian forces shelled at the border more than 20 times from the Russian village of Zyornovo.
June 2022.
On 4 June, Russian aircraft destroyed a locality on the border from 6 missiles being deployed in Mykolayivka. Three hours later explosions blew up across Velyka Pysarivka Raion in Sumy Oblast. Shelling was also reported in Novhorod-Siversky Raion in Chernihiv Oblast.
On 8 June, Russian forces destroyed a building of the Ukrainian Border Control from the Russian border checkpoint of Troebortnoe.
Russian forces fired 7 times on 10 June. The mortars and artillery were fired from Zyornovo and Strachovo in Bryansk Oblast. Around four villages were destroyed in Sumy and Chernihiv Oblasts.
On 19 June, Russian forces fired mortars on the city of Seredyna-Buda in Sumy Oblast. A huge fire was caused and residents had to evacuate the city.
Russian forces fired 20 missiles into the town of Desna in Chernihiv Oblast on 25 June. Ukrainian officials claimed that the Russian military had fired the missiles from Belarus.
One person was killed and one injured as Russian troops fired on Yunakivka, Bilopillia, Krasnopillia and Shalyhyne on 26 June in Sumy Oblast. Around 150 projectiles were launched with Krasnopillia suffering the most, as Zhyvytskyi said "it was destroyed."
On June 27, Zhyvytskyi stated that Russians attacked the hromadas of Krasnopillia and Bilopillia, leaving one person injured.
Shots were heard in Krasnopilla, Velyka Pysarivka, and Khotin on 30 June. Around 70 shots were fired on Krasnopilla, 10 missile strikes on Velyka Pysarivka, and 120mm mortars on Khotin. Mortar strikes were also reported in Semenivka.
July 2022.
Russian forces shelled numerous border towns including Hlukhiv on July 1.
Russian forces fired with artillery and mortars on Sumy Oblast 3 times on 3 July. Russian forces fired at Shalyhyne in Shostka Raion with 12 strikes recorded. Russian troops then fired on Esman. Later that day, 14 mortar projectiles were launched again on Shalyhyne.
On 4 July, a Russian helicopter fired at an Esman school.
On 5 July, Russian troops launched a missile strike on the city of Shostka in which private enterprises were destroyed and around 24 residential buildings were damaged. Russian forces also fired on Semenivka in Chernihiv Oblast.
Russian forces fired on Shalyhyne, Bilopillia, Znob-Novhorodske and Krasnopillia on 12 July with Krasnopillia getting hit twice with rocket launchers.
On 13 July, four villages in Sumy Oblast were shelled.
On 16 July, Russian forces destroyed a farm and a school in Esman.
On 17 July, Russian troops shelled Velyka Pysarivka, Krasnopillia, Khotin, Bilopillia, Shalyhyne, Nova Sloboda, Sumy Oblast, Esman, and Seredyna-Buda in Sumy Oblast as well as Snovsk in Chernihiv Oblast.
Explosions were reported on Hlukhiv on 18 July, with no casualties reported. Shalyhyne also suffered attacks as well as Khotin. Mykolayivka was attacked from MRLS.
On 24 July, Russian forces fired at the Sumy Oblast 12 times, primarily the villages of Shalyhyne, Mykolayivka, Bilopillia, Khotin, Yunakivka, and Krasnopillia. One person was reportedly killed and 2 military aircraft fired on Mykolayivka. Later that day, Ukrainian officials admitted that Sumy and Chernihiv Oblasts were fired on every day.
Explosions were heard across the border with Sumy Oblast where 55 were reported on 26 July. One woman was injured. The villages targeted were Esman, Krasnopillia, and Seredyna-Buda. Explosions were also heard in Chernihiv Oblast Over 20 explosions were reported.
Russian forces shelled Sumy Oblast 44 times on 28 July. The same day Russian forces on Belarusian territory launched missiles on Honcharivske in Chernihiv Oblast.
Russian troops heavily shelled Semenivka in Chernihiv Oblast on 29 July. The city's administrative building was heavily damaged.
March 2024.
On 17 March, a Ukrainian Mil Mi-24 helicopter was shot down in Sumy Oblast near the Russia–Ukraine border.
On the same day, Russian sabotage groups failed to cross the border into Sumy after Ukrainian forces intercepted them.
June 2024.
Chechen forces raided Ryzhivka in Sumy Oblast in June 2024.
December 2024.
On 9 December 2024, Russian troops re-entered Sumy Oblast.
January 2025.
On 10 January 2025, geolocated footage showed Russian forces crossing the international border and entering Sumy Oblast, advancing west of Zhuravka and south of the village of Prokhody. Ivan Shevtsov, spokesman for Ukraine’s Steel Border Brigade said on 14 January 2025 that Russian drones were actively hunting Ukrainian soldiers in Sumy Oblast and that the Brigade is "in areas of active combat in Sumy Oblast and along the state border with Russia".
References.
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