MOSCOW, May 31. /TASS/. After suffering serious losses in the Kursk Region, the Ukrainian armed forces lack the manpower and equipment to hold the Sumy Region, military and political expert Yan Gagin told TASS.
"Against the backdrop of the monstrous losses suffered by the Ukrainian military in the Kursk Region, the losses in equipment are quite significant. Ukraine understands that, if necessary, our groups in the Sumy Region can move at practically the same speed as our equipment. Naturally, they understand that they simply will not be able to hold the settlements — the losses would be monstrous," Gagin said.
He added that the Ukrainian side is first evacuating officials, special services personnel, and documents. The situation is tense for the Ukrainian military along the entire line of engagement. The Ukrainian army lacks manpower and needs time to rest and rearm. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian media is focusing on the Sumy Region in hopes of obtaining new shipments of weapons and mercenaries from Western sponsors.
The Ukrainian authorities have recently urged residents to leave towns and villages near the combat zone. At the end of April, a forced evacuation was announced in seven villages in the Dnepropetrovsk Region due to the approaching front line, affecting residents of territories bordering the Donetsk People’s Republic.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the battlegroup North liberated the Sumy Region settlements of Loknya, Vladimirovka, Belovody, and Konstantinovka during the past week.