Russian forces are intensifying efforts to push Ukrainian troops out of Kursk Oblast and capture border areas of Sumy Oblast, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said in a Facebook post on April 21.
"Intense fighting continues in Sumy Oblast in areas near the state border, as well as on the territory of the Russian Federation," Syrskyi wrote.
Sumy Oblast, in northeastern Ukraine, borders Russia's Kursk, Bryansk, and Belgorod oblasts, making it a critical front line in Russia's full-scale war.
Syrskyi said that Ukrainian forces "have once again thwarted the enemy's offensive in this area with their active actions," preventing Russian troops from executing their operational objectives.
The general reported visiting front-line brigades shortly before Easter, meeting with commanders, headquarters officials, and military service chiefs.
He said all necessary decisions had been made to support ongoing operations and replenish military equipment and ammunition.
Syrskyi emphasized that Ukraine's ability to counter Russia's numerical advantage depends on advancing in high-tech warfare.
"Only by staying ahead of the enemy in the use of high-tech weapons, increasing the number and quality of robotic platforms and remotely controlled modules, and introducing artificial intelligence into weapons will Ukraine be able to destroy the Russian forces effectively," he said.
The statement follows warnings that Russia has launched its expected spring offensive. Syrskyi said on April 9 that Moscow's campaign "has actually already begun," with Russian attacks surging across the front line.
President Volodymyr Zelensky warned in March that Russia was preparing new assaults on Sumy and Kharkiv oblasts following Moscow's rapid advances in Kursk Oblast.
Ukraine initially captured 1,300 square kilometers (500 square miles) of Russian territory during a cross-border operation but has since come under intense pressure from a Russian counteroffensive bolstered by North Korean forces.
According to the DeepState monitoring group, as of April 21, Ukrainian forces hold approximately 30 square kilometers (about 323 square feet) of territory in Russia's Kursk Oblast.
Despite U.S. President Donald Trump's push for a ceasefire, Russia rejected a U.S. proposal for a 30-day truce and continues its offensive.
On April 19, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a one-day Easter truce on the front line, claiming that Russian troops would not engage in combat over the weekend.
According to Zelensky, Russia has violated the truce about 3,000 times.
Kateryna Hodunova
(Updated: )
