Russian infantry groups become more active in border areas of Kharkiv, Sumy regions

29.01.2026 23:00

Ukrinform

Russian forces are attempting to break into Ukrainian territory in the Kharkiv and Sumy regions using small infantry groups, but they are suffering heavy losses and have achieved no success.

This was stated on air by Andrii Demchenko, spokesperson for the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, Ukrinform reports.

“These infantry groups keep coming onto our territory to die… literally by the hundreds. There are fatalities and hundreds of wounded, whom the enemy continues to use like cannon fodder in this direction,” he said.

According to Demchenko, the enemy is trying to infiltrate various sections of the border in the Kharkiv and Sumy regions, deploying small infantry units.

“Using small infantry groups, they approach the border and attempt to penetrate deeper into Ukrainian territory, but they are met with resistance and suffer losses – these groups are destroyed,” the spokesperson noted.

He specified that the highest level of activity is recorded near the settlement of Dihtiarne in the Kharkiv region, as well as in the villages of Nesterne and Kruhle.

“The enemy has concentrated certain forces and continues to send them into Ukrainian territory,” Demchenko said, emphasizing that border guards are not only repelling attacks but also conducting strike-and-search operations to clear the area.

In particular, yesterday three Russian servicemen were captured on the Kharkiv direction.

In the Kharkiv region, enemy infantry groups are also active near Vovchanski Khutory and Dvorichanske, while in the Sumy region – in the Khotin and Yunakivka communities.

At the same time, the enemy is not using armored vehicles. “This is not being recorded either in the Kharkiv region or in the Sumy region,” he stressed.

According to Demchenko, border guards come under about 300 attacks daily, most of them carried out with drones. “Border units shoot down about 100 enemy drones every day,” the SBGS spokesperson concluded.

As previously reported by Ukrinform, since the start of the day there have already been 180 combat engagements between the Ukrainian Defense Forces and Russian troops, with the heaviest enemy activity recorded in the Pokrovsk sector.