In a Facebook post following his visit to the Sumy front, Syrskyi said Russia’s latest push for a “summer offensive” is collapsing — just like last year’s failed assault on Kharkiv. “The decisions we made earlier are now delivering results. In key areas, our units are using active defense tactics effectively and reclaiming territory along the Sumy border,” he wrote.He confirmed that as of this week, Russian forces had been stopped in the border region, and the contact line remains stable. Ukrainian troops on the Sumy and Kursk axes have managed to pin down about 50,000 Russian soldiers, including elite airborne and marine brigades. At the same time, Ukrainian operations in the Glushkovo area of Russia’s Kursk region forced Moscow to shift troops to defend its own territory — weakening its offensive capacity in Sumy.Syrskyi also announced the formation of a special task group to coordinate the defense of cities and communities in Sumy. Their top priorities include strengthening fortifications and expanding engineering barriers. A dedicated official will oversee these defense preparations, along with a deputy responsible for fortification work.“I reviewed the situation on the ground, walked the fields and forests, and inspected fortification efforts — including areas managed by the regional government and the State Special Transport Service,” Syrskyi said. His takeaway: the work is moving forward, but it needs to pick up speed given the realities of modern warfare.“Building additional fortifications, setting up kill zones, and constructing anti-drone corridors to protect our troops and secure logistics — those are obvious priorities already in motion, but we need to execute them much faster,” he said, adding that he plans to return soon for another inspection.Syrskyi also presented commendations to top-performing troops and thanked all defenders working along the northern axis.Ukrainian forces have pushed Russian troops out of the village of Andriivka in the Sumy region. Meanwhile, Russian forces have made gains near several villages in the Donetsk region.