Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed for the first time on Monday that Ukrainian troops are active in the Belgorod Russian region, seeking to protect Ukrainian cities near the border.
Kiev’s troops remain in parts of the neighboring Russian region of Kursk eight months after a transfronical raid, although the Russian forces recovered much of the lost territory.
In a video statement, Zelensky stated that Ukrainian chief commander Oleksandr Syrskyi presented a report “About the Front Line, our presence in the Kursk region and our presence in the Belgorod region.”
“We continue with active operations in the border areas of the enemy and this is absolutely justified. War must return to where it came. Our main goal continues the same: protecting our land and our communities in the regions of Sumy and Kharkiv from Russian occupants.”
Subsequently, he referred to operations in the area performed by the 225th Ukrainian Assault Regiment and congratulated the unit for its performance.
Zelensky reiterated Kiev’s statement, maintained a long time ago, that the operation was successful in attracting Russian forces away from the main front line of the war in the Ukrainian region of Donetsk.
“Due to all the operation in Kursk, we were able to reduce pressure in other front line sectors, particularly in the Donetsk region,” he said.
The president, last month, referred indirectly to the “certain steps” held by the Ukrainian army in Russia “just below the Kursk region,” suggesting implicitly one.
Russian military bloggers had reported battles in the Belgorod region between Russian and Ukrainian troops.
On Sunday (6), Russia stated that its troops had taken the village of Basivka, in the northeastern region of Sumy, Ukraine – opposed to Kursk – and were attacking Ukrainian forces in different locations.
Russian President Vladimir Putin repeatedly suggested that Russian forces create a protection zone along the border.
A Ukrainian military spokesman issued a new denial on Monday that Basivka was in Russian hands.
