Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has acknowledged for the first time that his troops are operating in Russia’s Belgorod region. During a speech on Monday, Zelensky stated that Ukraine’s military is conducting active operations in the border areas on enemy territory, emphasizing that this is a just response as the war should return to its origin. His comments also mentioned the Kursk region, where Ukraine still holds a small area following a significant offense last year. However, Moscow has since regained most of the territory.
Zelensky stated that the main objective is to protect Ukraine’s Sumy and Kharkiv border regions and alleviate pressure on other parts of the extensive front line, particularly in the eastern Donetsk region. Russia’s military had previously reported Ukrainian attempts to cross into the Belgorod region, but claimed that such attacks were successfully repelled. Russian President Vladimir Putin initiated a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and Moscow currently occupies approximately 20% of Ukraine’s territory. In his video address on Monday, Zelensky stated that he had been briefed by his top commander, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, about the situation on the front, including Ukraine’s presence in the Kursk and Belgorod regions. He thanked various army units defending Ukraine, including the 225th Assault Regiment deployed in the Belgorod region. While Zelensky did not provide further details, this marks the first time he explicitly acknowledged Ukrainian troops in Belgorod.
On March 18, Zelensky had indirectly confirmed the presence of Ukrainian troops in the region when asked to comment on a Russian defense ministry statement about unsuccessful Ukrainian attempts to enter the western part of the Belgorod region. Russia claimed that all attempts by Ukrainian troops to advance towards the villages of Demidovka and Prilesye were thwarted, preventing a cross-border raid. However, several Russian military bloggers reported fighting in Demidovka itself, which is about two kilometers from the Ukrainian border. The US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) also mentioned that Ukrainian forces recently advanced in Belgorod. It was noted that Russian military bloggers claimed that Ukrainian forces advanced and were consolidating positions on the outskirts of Demidovka and Prilesye, but these claims were unconfirmed. In the past two days, there have been reports that Ukrainian forces were withdrawing from the Demidovka area. It is believed that Ukraine’s operation in Belgorod is on a smaller scale compared to its actions in Kursk, where Ukraine at one point captured several villages, including the town of Sudzha. According to Zelensky and his top commanders, such incursions have compelled Moscow to redeploy troops from the Donetsk region.
Ukraine may also be seeking to exchange the Russian-controlled areas it holds for parts of Ukrainian regions occupied by Moscow in any future peace negotiations that are being pushed for by the US. Some war analysts, both in Ukraine and the West, have questioned the military effectiveness of Kyiv’s operations on Russian soil, citing concerns about high combat casualties and difficulties in weapons supply.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwy7dv6zk36o
