Zelensky Confirms Ukrainian Forces Active in Russia’s Belgorod Region

Image Credentials: Image Title: Zelensky Confirms Ukrainian Forces Active in Russia’s Belgorod Region Source: AI-Generated Image (Grok, xAI) Date: April 2025 Attribution: Created by AI-generated imagery (Grok, xAI), and it does not depict a real-world scene.

By Staff Writer with Agencies

KYIV — In a bold admission, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed for the first time that Ukrainian troops are actively operating in Russia’s Belgorod region, a key Russian border area. Zelensky made the remarks on Monday, acknowledging that Ukrainian forces have been carrying out operations inside Russian territory to safeguard their own borders and apply pressure on Russian defenses.

“We continue to carry out active operations in the border areas on enemy territory, and that is absolutely just — war must return to where it came from,” Zelensky said, addressing the ongoing conflict on Ukrainian TV.

The Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine’s Sumy and Kharkiv provinces, has become a focal point of Ukrainian operations. Zelensky emphasized that the primary objective of these operations was to protect the Ukrainian border regions, especially from the growing Russian presence in the east.

“The main objective is to protect Ukraine’s Sumy and Kharkiv border regions and to ease the pressure on other parts of the front line, particularly in Donetsk,” Zelensky explained.

For months, Russia has claimed that it has successfully repelled several Ukrainian incursions into Belgorod, with Russian military reports suggesting that the latest Ukrainian attempt to advance into the region was thwarted. However, there have been unconfirmed reports from Russian military bloggers and analysts who claim that fighting occurred in the village of Demidovka, which lies just 1.2 miles from the Ukrainian border.

Zelensky has just confirmed the presence of Ukrainian troops in Russia’s Belgorod region.

“The war must return to where it came from,” he said. pic.twitter.com/jLdukGTTbd

— KyivPost (@KyivPost) April 7, 2025

Zelensky’s comments also referred to the Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces still hold small areas, following a major offensive last year. Russian troops have since retaken most of the territory in Kursk, but Ukraine’s position there remains a strategic advantage in the larger conflict.

The confirmation of Ukrainian forces in Belgorod aligns with previous reports, including an Institute for the Study of War (ISW) update from March 21, which suggested Ukrainian troops had advanced and were consolidating positions on the outskirts of Demidovka and Prilesye. Although these claims have been contested, analysts have noted that 12 square kilometers of Belgorod is currently under Ukrainian control, while about 60 square kilometers of Kursk remains in Ukrainian hands.

Ukrainian officials have refrained from giving specific details about the operations in Belgorod, but Zelensky’s acknowledgment marks the first time he has explicitly confirmed the presence of Ukrainian troops in the region. Previously, Zelensky had only indirectly commented on the situation, suggesting that operations were ongoing without confirming the extent of the Ukrainian military’s involvement.

In his address, Zelensky also praised the bravery of Ukrainian troops, particularly the 225th Assault Regiment, which is deployed in Belgorod.

“Well done, guys! I’m proud of each and every one who is fighting for Ukraine!” Zelensky said.

The ongoing operations in Belgorod and Kursk are part of Ukraine’s broader strategy to force Russia to redeploy troops from the eastern front lines, particularly in Donetsk, where Russian forces have been making slow and steady advances in recent months.

However, some military analysts in Ukraine and the West have questioned the strategic value of such incursions. Critics argue that these operations have resulted in significant combat casualties and have been complicated by supply difficulties. Despite this, Zelensky and his commanders maintain that such moves are essential for weakening Russia’s grip on occupied Ukrainian territory and could be leveraged in future peace talks.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump has continued to press for a ceasefire in the war, but Moscow has rejected U.S. and European calls for peace talks, accusing them of interfering in Russia’s internal affairs.

As the conflict rages on, the situation remains fluid, and the strategic importance of these incursions into Russian territory could become clearer in the weeks ahead.