Russia said on Monday that its forces had taken control of the border village of Hrabovske in northeastern Ukraine’s Sumy region, while separate missile attacks caused severe damage to energy infrastructure in Kharkiv, the country’s second-largest city.
In a statement published on Telegram, Russia’s Defence Ministry claimed that its troops captured Hrabovske, a small settlement located about 51 kilometres southeast of the city of Sumy. The village lies close to the settlement of Staroselye in Russia’s Belgorod region, underscoring its strategic position along the border.
Ukrainian officials have not confirmed the loss of the village. On Sunday, Ukrainian military spokesperson Viktor Trehubov said Russian forces were remotely mining the border area 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,” Trehubov told Ukraine’s public broadcaster Suspilne. “That’s why they are creating such a small outpost from Hrabovske.”
Meanwhile, Russian forces launched five missile strikes on Kharkiv on Monday, according to city authorities. Mayor Ihor Terekhov said the attacks caused “very serious damage” to the city’s energy infrastructure, raising concerns about electricity and heating supplies during the winter period.
The strikes are part of a broader Russian campaign targeting Ukraine’s energy system, which Kyiv says is aimed at weakening civilian resilience and disrupting essential services as temperatures drop.
Ukrainian emergency and energy services were assessing the damage and working to restore power, while air raid alerts remained in place in several regions.
