Russia Claims Control Over Hrabovske Village Amid Ongoing Conflict in Ukraine

On Monday, Russia announced it had taken control of the village of Hrabovske in Ukraine’s Sumy region. This location was previously the subject of accusations from Kyiv, which last month claimed that Moscow forcibly relocated dozens of its residents during a «medieval raid.»

This seizure represents a new territorial advancement for Russia in the northeastern region, which had largely avoided conflict since Ukraine reclaimed land there in a rapid counteroffensive back in 2022.

The Russian Defense Ministry shared on social media that its forces have «gained control of the village.»

In the prior month, Kyiv had accused Russia of unlawfully detaining approximately 50 villagers from Hrabovske. The Ukrainian human rights commissioner reported that they were held in poor conditions without contact with the outside world, before being «forcibly transported to the territory of the Russian Federation» by Russian forces.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha likened the incident to «medieval raids» and insisted on their return.

Amid ongoing diplomatic efforts to resolve the nearly four-year-long conflict, Russia is gradually making advancements in eastern Ukraine.

Although Sumy is not one of the five regions that Moscow claims to have annexed, Russia has stated that it is seizing territory to establish a «buffer zone» along its border.

According to an analysis by AFP, Russia’s territorial gains in Ukraine in 2025 constituted the highest level of success since the first year of its military campaign.