Russia claimed that its forces have taken control of the border village of Hrabovske in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region, while separately launching missile strikes that caused severe damage to energy infrastructure in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city.
According to a Defence Ministry statement posted on Telegram on Monday, Russian forces captured the village of Hrabovske, located about 51 kilometres southeast of the city of Sumy.
Hrabovske is adjacent to the settlement of Staroselye in Russia’s border region of Belgorod.
On Sunday, Ukrainian military spokesperson Viktor Trehubov claimed that Russian forces are remotely mining the border village to prevent Ukrainian counterattacks.
“It seems to me that they planned to go further, to attack the Sumy region, but it didn't work out. That's why they are creating such a small outpost from Hrabovske,” Trehubov told Ukraine’s public broadcaster Suspilne.
Targeting Ukraine’s energy system
Meanwhile, Russian forces carried out five missile strikes on Kharkiv on Monday, inflicting what Mayor Ihor Terekhov described as “very serious damage” to the city’s energy infrastructure.
The strikes form part of a broader Russian campaign targeting Ukraine’s energy system during the winter months.
