Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has confirmed that Ukrainian forces are operating within Russia’s Belgorod region, marking his first direct acknowledgment of their presence there.
Speaking in a video address on Monday, Zelensky stated, “We continue conducting active operations in border zones on enemy territory—and rightly so. War must return to where it originated.”
He also mentioned operations in Russia’s Kursk region, where Ukrainian troops still maintain a foothold following a large-scale offensive last year. Although Moscow has since regained much of that area, Ukraine retains some control.
Zelensky emphasized that these operations aim primarily to defend Ukraine’s Sumy and Kharkiv border regions and to relieve pressure on other fronts, particularly the embattled Donetsk region in the east.
Last month, Russia’s military reported attempts by Ukrainian forces to breach the Belgorod border, claiming that those efforts had been successfully repelled.
President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. As of now, Russian forces occupy around 20% of Ukrainian territory.
During his Monday address, Zelensky noted he had received a detailed update from Ukraine’s military chief, Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, covering the situation at the front—including Ukrainian activity in both Belgorod and Kursk.
He went on to commend several military units for their defense efforts, highlighting the 225th Assault Regiment for its deployment in Belgorod. “Excellent work, guys! I’m proud of every single one of you fighting for Ukraine,” he said.
Although he did not offer specifics, this marks the first unambiguous confirmation of Ukraine’s presence in Belgorod. Zelensky had previously hinted at the operation on March 18, responding to a Russian defense ministry claim about an attempted Ukrainian incursion by saying only, “There is an operation there.”
At that time, Russia said its forces had prevented any Ukrainian advances toward the villages of Demidovka and Prilesye. Despite this, Russian military bloggers reported clashes occurring within Demidovka itself, a village just two kilometers from the Ukrainian border.
The U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) supported these reports in a March 21 update, stating that Ukrainian forces appeared to have made advances in Belgorod. The ISW cited Russian bloggers claiming Ukrainian troops had reached the outskirts of both Demidovka and Prilesye, though those reports remained unverified.
In recent days, Russian bloggers have reported that Ukrainian units are now pulling back from Demidovka.
Compared to Ukraine’s operations in Kursk—where troops previously captured several villages, including the regional town of Sudzha—the Belgorod campaign appears to be on a smaller scale.
Ukrainian leaders, including Zelensky and his top military officials, have repeatedly asserted that such cross-border actions have forced Russia to redeploy forces away from Donetsk, where Russian troops continue to make incremental gains.
There is also speculation that Ukraine may view its limited control over parts of Russian territory as potential leverage in future peace negotiations, which the United States is actively encouraging.
