Ukrainian troops have “liberated and completely cleared” Russian forces from Bezsalivka, the military general staff said in a Telegram post.

It said 18 Russian troops had been “eliminated” in the fighting.

The village is on the frontline in the north of the country and about 20km west of the main fighting between the two armies in the northern region.

Russia, which invaded Ukraine in February 2022, launched a renewed offensive in Sumy in April after reclaiming its own region of Kursk from Ukrainian forces.

Russian troops are currently about 20km from the regional capital of Sumy, which has been the target of frequent deadly shelling attacks.

The focus of the Russian offensive is on eastern Ukraine, where it has stepped up gains in recent months against its less well-equipped opponents.