Russians intensify shelling of northern border areas, no offensive grouping formation spotted – military
In the northern regions, the number of shelling attacks by the Russian forces along the border increased over the past day. However, there is currently no indication of the formation of an enemy offensive group to advance deeper into the Ukrainian territory.
This was reported by Colonel Vadym Mysnyk, Spokesperson for the Siversk Operational Tactical Group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, during a television broadcast, as conveyed by Ukrinform.
"The operational situation is tense. Over the past day, the enemy has significantly intensified... shelling of border areas. Forty-three settlements were shelled over the past day. There was a certain pause in the active use of guided aerial bombs by enemy aircraft and unguided aviation rockets by helicopters, but yesterday we observed such incidents. In fact, compared to the day before yesterday, the number of shelling attacks has increased by 2.5 times," Mysnyk said.
He clarified that the shelling is occurring along the entire border: "This includes Chernihiv region, Sumy region, and parts of Kharkiv region, but the main concentration is in Sumy region." The Spokesperson reminded that the Ukrainian Defense Forces "are carrying out their tasks in border territories," resulting in the highest concentration of shelling attacks in this area.
Regarding the activities of enemy sabotage and reconnaissance groups (SRGs) in this sector, Mysnyk noted that the northern border's terrain is challenging, and the defense system is designed to counter potential enemy advances.
"Fortifications, mining, and barriers — our entire defense system is constructed to prevent the enemy from advancing into our territory. Naturally, our reconnaissance capabilities allow us to monitor deep into Russian territory. We disrupt any concentrations of enemy combat equipment or infantry near the border, attempting to destroy them whenever possible. Enemy SRG activity persists here, especially given the challenging weather conditions. However, our technical means enable us to detect them in a timely manner and respond," the Spokesperson explained.
He further elaborated that enemy SRGs are moving along the border in civilian vehicles and wearing non-military clothing, but Ukrainian reconnaissance monitors all their movements.
"Currently, the technical capabilities of Ukrainian intelligence allow us to monitor even their use of internal transportation infrastructure. They often transfer troops and equipment using rail or road transport. We keep all key stations under surveillance, thus, we are able to promptly detect such movements along the border or rotations in enemy troop composition. At present, we do not observe the creation of any large-scale grouping to conduct offensive actions along the border," Mysnyk stated.
As reported by Ukrinform, the Russian forces carried out 115 shelling attacks over the past day using various types of weaponry along the borders of Chernihiv, Sumy, and parts of Kharkiv regions.