With a 3:1 manpower advantage, 50,000 Russian troops close in on strategic Ukrainian city

Russia's President Vladimir Putin attends a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the Alexandrovsky Garden near the Kremlin wall to commemorate the 84th anniversary of the Nazi Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941 during the Memory and Sorrow Day in Moscow on June 22, 2025.

Russian troops are advancing steadily toward the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy, now just 12 kilometers away, with an estimated 50,000 troops pushing across the border, according to a detailed frontline report by The Wall Street Journal. The buildup follows Moscow’s consolidation of control over Ukraine-held areas in Russia’s Kursk region earlier this year, and reflects a deliberate effort to stretch Ukraine’s already strained defensive lines.

Quoting Ukraine’s top military commander, Gen. Oleksandr Syrskiy, the Journal reported that Russian forces are employing their roughly 3-to-1 manpower advantage to pressure multiple sectors along a 750-mile front line, which has expanded by more than 100 miles in the past year.

“Their main strategy is to wear us down with their numbers,” Gen. Syrskiy told The Wall Street Journal.

The attack on Sumy comes at a time of deepening tensions between the U.S. and Russia, with President Donald Trump reportedly frustrated over the Kremlin’s refusal to commit to a ceasefire, despite ongoing negotiations in Turkey. In the meantime, Russia has escalated its missile and drone attacks on major Ukrainian cities.

On the ground, Ukraine is fighting hard to hold the line. Following alarming Russian gains in Sumy last month, Ukrainian forces deployed elite units from HUR (Ukrainian military intelligence) to stabilize the region. The Journal reports that the situation has since improved slightly, with Ukrainian troops regaining some territory.

“Now we’re looking for ways to conduct our own assaults and push the enemy back,” said Timur, commander of the Timur Special Forces Unit, an elite HUR group that has been engaged in combat in Sumy for several weeks.

Still, Ukraine’s forces remain badly outnumbered. “Their numbers are a big problem for us, though not enough to overrun us,” said Kappa, commander of the Chimera unit of the same HUR force.

“The enemy is losing 300 to 400 people per day across the region. But they can deal with that level of casualties… They keep bringing in reserves.”

Earlier this month, a 12-member squad from the Timur Unit launched an operation to retake a Russian-held village north of Sumy. But midway, they encountered a Russian assault team in a tree-lined trench. Vastly outnumbered, the Ukrainian fighters endured a seven-hour firefight.

The Wall Street Journal described helmet-cam footage showing relentless gunfire and mortar exchanges. One machine-gunner reportedly fired 5,500 rounds during the battle. The team eventually retreated under heavy fire, with three wounded and several suffering concussions.

“I’m really glad we got everyone out alive,” Mark said. “We were in a really tough situation.”

But despite heroic efforts, Ukrainian soldiers in the Sumy region express frustration over poorly prepared defences. After a costly withdrawal from Kursk, many returned to find outdated trenches and minimal drone protection. Some areas under active Russian assault had been left unmined, leaving troops exposed.

“It’s like they prepared for tank columns, not a battlefield where dozens of drones strike daily,” said Kyrylo, an infantry commander who fought in Kursk and is now stationed in Sumy.

“Every single day a position isn’t ready is a day someone might not come back.”

When asked about the state of fortifications, Defence Minister Rustem Umerov told WSJ that work was ongoing.

“Fortification is not just about concrete and trenches; it is an adaptive engineering system that takes the enemy’s tactics into account and always serves one purpose: protecting our warriors,” he said.

As Russia intensifies its push toward Sumy, Ukrainian commanders brace for more assaults, not just from overwhelming troop numbers, but from a battlefield reshaped by drones, attrition warfare, and gaps in defences that are proving costly in both time and lives.