Ukrainian troops in Sumy Oblast are facing low morale due to advancing Russian forces, Luhansk militia officer Andrei Marochko told state news agency TASS.
Marochko, a lieutenant colonel in the People's Militia of the Luhansk People's Republic, stated that Ukrainian forces in the northeastern region have grown increasingly discouraged as Russian military units continue their push across the area.
According to Marochko, Kyiv is currently maintaining the front line in the sector primarily through local territorial defense units. Ukrainian military commanders have also dispatched supplemental forces and military hardware to reinforce defensive lines in the region.
Fighters from the Azov battalion are present in Sumy alongside territorial defense units, Marochko said. He added that while Azov members are deployed across all sectors of the front, their numbers in Sumy remain smaller than in other operational directions.
Territorial gains and frontline conditions
Morale among Ukrainian troops failed to improve after Russian forces took control of the settlements of Pershoho Travnya and Pisarevka, Marochko noted. He added that dark clouds have begun to gather over Ukrainian positions that were previously considered quiet.
The Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed on August 26 that Russian forces had captured the village of Pisarevka. Official statements attributed the takeover to combat actions carried out by fighters from Russia's North group of forces.
Background on Sumy and participating units
Sumy Oblast is located in northeastern Ukraine and shares an extensive land border with Russia. The regional capital, Sumy, lies roughly 30 kilometers from the border. The region has experienced regular cross-border shelling, drone strikes, and ground fighting throughout the conflict.
The Luhansk People's Republic was proclaimed by pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine in 2014 before Russia announced its annexation in September 2022. The militia forces of the region operate under Russian military oversight during ongoing operations.
The Azov unit was originally formed in 2014 as a volunteer paramilitary force during the war in Donbas before being formally incorporated into the National Guard of Ukraine. Moscow designated the group a terrorist organization in 2022. TASS, founded in 1904, is one of Russia's largest state-owned news agencies.
