 "Servicemen of the 14th Assault Brigade Chervona Kalyna of the Ukrainian National Guard fire an OTO Melara howitzer towards Russian troops at a position in a front line, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near the town of Pokrovsk in Donetsk. Reuters")
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has publicly acknowledged the presence of his troops in Russia’s Belgorod region, where Moscow reported attacks last month.
“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 said on Monday as he confirmed Ukrainian military action in Kursk and Belgorod.
The Ukrainian president’s statement is significant as this is the first time he has mentioned the presence of troops in the region since the start of the war in 2022.
In March, the Russian military confirmed that Ukrainian forces launched land assaults in Belgorod. The DeepState military blog, which is believed to have close ties to Ukraine’s military, reported that Ukrainian troops had seized a 13-square-kilometer area in the Russian territory near the border village of Demidovka.
Why is Belgorod important?
Belgorod, which houses 1.5 million people, has been Ukraine’s regular target since the war began. The region is close to Kursk, which Kyiv has been trying to hold on to after launching a surprise attack last year.
Ukraine’s operation in Belgorod is thought to be significantly smaller in scope than its activities in Kursk, where Kyiv managed to capture several villages, including the town of Sudzha. President Zelensky and his senior military officials have consistently stated that these incursions have pressured Moscow to move troops from Donetsk, where Russian forces have been making gradual but consistent progress in recent months.
‘Bombing like crazy’
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump on Monday reiterated his opposition to Russia’s bombing of Ukraine as his administration participates in talks seeking an end to the fighting there.
“I’m not happy about what’s going on” in Ukraine, the Republican told reporters in the White House, accusing Russia of “bombing like crazy right now” even as he said the parties were “sort of close” on a deal.
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More ShortsWith inputs from agencies