Shelling a kilometer from Sumy: fire from Russia as a strategy of pressure without offensive
30 June 2025 16:50
Russian cannon artillery fired in the immediate vicinity of Sumy, less than a kilometer from the city limits. According to preliminary data, the attack took place on June 22 or 23 in the village of Pishchane, which is adjacent to the northern part of the city.
This was reported by Ukrainska Pravda, citing a law enforcement source. It is highly likely that the attack was carried out with a 152 mm caliber active-reactive projectile fired from one of the “Hyacinth” type guns, either a self-propelled 2C5 or a trailed 2A36.
Such ammunition can cover a distance of 33-40 kilometers. Based on the location of the hit, which is known to journalists, the shot was fired from the territory of the Russian Federation. In particular, the artillery could have been operating from the area of Kulbaki village, located north of the occupied part of Sumy region, or from the direction of the villages of Huyevo and Hornal in the east, near the conditionally stable Myropil direction.
Kommersant investigated how strong the threat to Sumy is and whether it could become a second Kharkiv or Donbas.
Statements about the advance of enemy troops in this region are exaggerated – the enemy is firing from its own territory. This was stated by the spokesman for the Ukrainian Volunteer Army, Serhiy Bratchuk, in a conversation with KU journalists.
“Some media outlets claimed that the enemy allegedly advanced in Sumy region. But it’s very simple: just look at the map, in particular, the one maintained by our colleagues from DeepState. The enemy is firing from the territory of Russia – and this allows them to cover a distance of 30-40 km, for example, using a 152-mm Hyacinth cannon.”
According to Bratchuk, the village of Pishchane, which came under fire, has already been hit by similar attacks before, and there is no need to create a sensation out of it.
“If the Russians have no tactical success, they simply destroy everything. This is not new. Donetsk and Luhansk regions have already proved this. This is not a coincidence, but part of the Russian military doctrine – to depopulate the territory, destroy the infrastructure so that civilians cannot live there and troops cannot operate.”
Bratchuk emphasizes that the enemy’s strategy is not to advance on the ground, but to destroy everything, making life and defense impossible in these areas. Ukraine’s defense forces are working to prevent the enemy from approaching the borders from which they can conduct targeted fire.
“Our efforts are aimed at preventing the enemy from advancing to a distance that would allow them to fire effectively. The Russians have enough firepower – but we are working to prevent them from using it at a dangerous distance.”
The Ukrainian army is using its own unmanned systems and precision munitions to neutralize the enemy.
“We are actively using our drones and high-precision weapons, including the so-called KABs. This is our response to their strategy of depopulation and advance into the depths.”
Serhiy Bratchuk emphasizes that the Russian strategy is not only a war for territory, but also for the ability to physically destroy it. The Ukrainian defense forces understand this and are working proactively to prevent the enemy from implementing the scorched earth plan.
The situation in Sumy region is not critical, but it is being exaggerated by the media
Roman Svitan, a military analyst and retired colonel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, believes that the media hype surrounding the shelling of Sumy region significantly exaggerates the real threat in the region. In a commentary for KU, he compared the situation in Sumy to Kharkiv:
“The situation in Sumy is much better than in Kharkiv. But Kharkiv is hardly ever talked about, while Sumy is talked about every day. Why is that? It seems like someone is deliberately trying to create tension in society.”
According to Svitan, shelling the outskirts of Sumy with cannon artillery from the territory of the Russian Federation is a common tactic that does not indicate a serious advance of the enemy. And the mere fact that a shell arrived is not a reason to panic.
“A shell from a Hyacinth arrived somewhere, did not reach Sumy, and they are already blowing it out of proportion. But from the information point of view, this is not a reason for news at all. At the front, 15 thousand shells, more than a hundred ‘KABs’ and thousands of FPV drones are used every day.”
Kharkiv is in greater danger
The colonel emphasized that the real front line is closer to Kharkiv than to Sumy, and the enemy is a few kilometers away from the city:
“The Russians have been standing near Liptsy for two years. From Liptsy it is twice as close to Kharkiv as it is to Sumy. But for some reason, panic is being stirred up around Sumy.”
Svitan also cited the example of Kherson, which is geographically closer to the front than Sumy:
“Kherson is about the same size as Sumy. But no one says that it is being “unwound” by bombs like the cities of Donbas. But the same bombs are coming to Kharkiv.”
The military expert suggested that the massive spread of disturbing news about Sumy region may have an organized information background.
“It seems that there is a ‘rat king’ somewhere who presses a button and everyone starts to push the topic at the same time. One shell hits a village, and it’s already being hyped as an emergency. In reality, this is not news for the frontline. It’s not news at all.”
According to Roman Svitan, Sumy region is not in any serious danger, and the situation in the region is under control. The information hysteria around this is artificial and dangerous, as it creates unnecessary anxiety among the civilian population.
“The situation in Sumy is quite acceptable. And we shouldn’t broadcast far-fetched alarms. We must remain calm and cool.”
Thus, it is important to distinguish the frontline reality from the emotional information background. The situation in the Sumy region is under control, and although artillery arrivals are disturbing, they are not a sign of a tactical breakthrough. Experts point out that the threat is exaggerated, and this may be an element of an information attack. We need calm and trust in the military.
