Putin's Kursk visit hints at aspirations for Sumy control

Vladimir Putin, Russia's leader, held a meeting with officials in the Kursk region, which, according to the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW), may signal an attempt to justify plans to capture the Sumy region in northern Ukraine.

In its latest report, the ISW emphasizes that Russian territorial ambitions extend beyond the already occupied areas. Putin may seek further control over the Sumy region to force Ukraine into concessions during future peace talks.

During the meeting, which took place on May 20 at 3:00 PM Eastern Time, the head of the Glushkovsky district authorities, Pavel Zolotaryov, requested that Putin create a buffer zone in the Sumy region, including the city of Sumy. The acting governor of the region, Aleksandr Khinshtein, mentioned his roots in the Sumy region, emphasizing that "this land is not foreign to him."

Sumy, located just 26 kilometres from the border with Russia, would, in the event of a buffer zone's creation, prevent Ukrainian forces from attacking Russian territory using artillery and drones. The ISW suggests that the Kremlin may have set up this meeting to portray Putin as an effective leader responding to his subordinates' needs.

Although Russian authorities announced on April 26 the recapture of the entire Kursk region, ISW notes that Ukrainian forces still hold positions there, and fighting continues. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine confirmed on May 21 that combat operations are ongoing.

ISW assesses that it is unlikely Russian forces will be able to capture Sumy in the near future, given Russia's current struggles to quickly seize even smaller towns. At present, only limited Russian units are operating towards Sumy, which is insufficient to take over a city that had a population of 256,000 before the war.

The last city with over 100,000 residents that Russia captured was Lysychansk in July 2022.