On January 2, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, together with his wife, head of the Association of Spouses of Ukrainian Diplomats, Tetyana Sybiha, made a working visit to Sumy Oblast, a frontline region that remains the northern outpost of Ukraine and all of Europe in the face of ongoing Russian aggression.

During the visit, the minister emphasized that Ukrainian diplomacy is based not on declarations, but on achieving practical results that directly help people, servicemen, and children in frontline regions.

“For me, it is fundamentally important that diplomacy is not a set of abstract euphemisms, but a systemic process that leads to specific solutions and real assistance to specific people. Therefore, I am happy to return here with the fulfilled promises that I made during previous visits. To come not empty-handed, but with targeted support,” Andrii Sybiha emphasized.

In 2025, with the assistance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and international partners, about 10 thousand children from frontline regions were able to participate in free rehabilitation and health programs abroad. A significant part of them are children from Sumy region. The total amount of international support attracted to the region over the past year amounted to about 2.3 billion hryvnias.

The visit began with a visit to a school in the village of Bobryk, where a modern computer class was equipped. The educational institution received new equipment, including a 3D printer. Special attention was paid to the conditions of study in shelters and honoring the memory of school graduates who died defending Ukraine.

“Even in the difficult conditions of frontline regions, the main thing is felt here - life goes on. And we are obliged to do everything so that these schools have new Ukrainian graduates,” Andrii Sybiha emphasized.

The Minister also visited the soldiers of the 21st separate mechanized brigade, handing over drones and quadcopters to the military. Andrii Sybiha noted the importance of supporting the Armed Forces of Ukraine and thanked Ukrainian business for this, in particular the SkyFall company.

The next stop was Sumy Regional Clinical Hospital. The institution was given medical equipment and a generator to ensure uninterrupted operation. The Minister supported an important initiative of the hospital — the Flame of Life project — to create a modern regional-level burn center and promised to help attract investors.

“We are not just talking about a medical project, but about a strategic investment. Ukraine is already shaping standards for treating war injuries, which, unfortunately, the world may need,” the Minister noted.

As part of the visit, Andrii Sybiha visited the Rays of Hope Children's Social and Psychological Rehabilitation Center, which works with children with special needs, and presented symbolic gifts collected together with international partners.

During his stay in Sumy Region, the Minister also held telephone conversations with his European colleagues - Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus Konstantinos Kombos, Switzerland Ignacio Cassis, and France Jean-Noel Barrot.

"These are not just protocol conversations - they are a transfer of vivid emotions and gratitude, as well as confirmation that diplomacy is a concrete matter about people and for people," Andrii Sybiha emphasized.

Summing up the visit, the Minister thanked the Head of the Sumy OVA Oleg Grigorov and his team, and also noted that Sumy Region is a place of strength and stability, where the future of Ukraine and all of Europe is being forged today.

"We understand that peace does not fall from the sky, we will have to fight for it and work to achieve it. We will cope," the head of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry emphasized.