Russia Might Try To Take Ukrainian City Of Sumy, Putin Says

Pedestrians walk past a monument destroyed by Russian bombing in Sumy, north-eastern Ukraine, on June 12, 2025, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Sumy was the starting point for a Ukrainian raid on the Russian region of Kursk, partly occupied by Kiev for eight months, before being repulsed in the spring by the Russians, supported by a North Korean contingent. (Credit: AFP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday he did not "rule out" his forces attempting to seize the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy, raising fresh doubts over the prospect of peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv.

Diplomatic efforts to end the three-year conflict have stalled in recent weeks and Kyiv has accused Moscow of deliberately sabotaging a peace deal to prolong its full-scale offensive on the country.