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For the first time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has publicly acknowledged that Ukrainian forces are conducting operations in Russia’s Belgorod region. This marks the second incursion into Russia’s border regions since August 2024.
“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,” Zelenskyy stated.
His remarks signal a shift in Ukraine’s approach to cross-border operations, positioning them as a strategic countermeasure against Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Objective of Belgorod Operation
Zelenskyy emphasized that the primary goal of these incursions is to safeguard Ukrainian towns and settlements in Sumy and Kharkiv, regions that frequently come under Russian attack.
Reports indicate that Ukrainian troops crossed into Belgorod in late March, marking a notable escalation in cross-border hostilities.
Russian Confirmation of the Belgorod Incursion
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) released an assessment on March 29, stating that geolocated footage confirmed Ukrainian forces had advanced to the village of Popovka, near the Russia-Ukraine border.
Moscow also confirmed the incursion, alleging that Ukrainian troops were attempting to “wedge” themselves into the western part of Belgorod. Russian authorities further claimed that Kyiv’s actions were intended to “create a negative background” amid ongoing discussions between Russian President Vladimir Putin and former U.S. President Donald Trump.
A History of Cross-Border Raids
This is not Ukraine’s first operation in Belgorod. Since 2023, Ukrainian forces—including Russian volunteer soldiers fighting alongside them—have launched occasional raids. However, these past incursions were short-lived, typically lasting only a few hours and lacking strategic military significance.
This latest operation appears to be of greater scale and complexity, resembling Ukraine’s previous cross-border actions in Kursk in August 2024.
Comparison with the Kursk Incursion
As Ukrainian forces moved into Belgorod, they simultaneously withdrew from Kursk, where Russian forces had recently recaptured the strategic logistics hub of Sudzha. Moscow also regained control over significant territory that Ukrainian troops had been holding since August 2024.
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