Escalating Battles: Ukraine Strikes Belgorod As Russia Advances In Kursk And Zaporizhzhia

Ukrainian forces have launched a series of attacks on Russia’s Belgorod region, deploying drones, artillery, and ground troops across a 150-kilometer (90-mile) stretch along the border. The strikes come in apparent retaliation for Russian efforts to drive Ukrainian forces out of the Kursk region, where they had seized over 1,000 square kilometers last year but have recently faced a renewed Russian offensive, reportedly backed by North Korean troops.

The Ukrainian military has not officially confirmed the Belgorod operation, but Russian Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov reported attacks on more than 20 villages in the region. Both countries are seeking to gain an advantage along the 1,000-kilometer frontline as spring weather improves and as international pressure mounts for a ceasefire.

Zelensky Calls for Stronger Western Response

As the conflict intensifies, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged the United States and Europe to take decisive action in response to ongoing Russian aerial assaults on Ukrainian cities.

“We expect a response—a serious one,” Zelensky said in his nightly address, citing 172 drone strikes on civilian infrastructure in a single night. “A strong response is urgently needed—from the U.S., from Europe, from everyone committed to diplomacy. Russia must be forced into peace—only pressure will work.”

In the northeastern city of Kharkiv, Russian drone strikes on Saturday night targeted a military hospital, injuring soldiers receiving treatment. Elsewhere in the city, two civilians were killed, and 25 others wounded.

Ukraine’s Tactical Moves in Belgorod

It remains unclear whether Ukraine’s attacks in Belgorod are part of a larger strategy to seize and hold Russian territory or simply a means to divert Russian forces from their offensive in Kursk and Sumy.

Ukrainian commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi confirmed that Russian units have been attempting incursions into Sumy, and the Russian defense ministry claimed on Saturday that its troops had captured a small settlement in the region.

So far, Ukraine’s push into Belgorod appears less ambitious than last year’s offensive in Kursk. Reports from Russian sources suggest Ukrainian forces have advanced several kilometers into Belgorod, with heavy fighting ongoing in the village of Popovka. Russian military bloggers have described Ukrainian troops gaining a foothold in the area, though the extent of their success remains unclear.

Earlier this week, Russian television reporter Anna Prokofieva was killed while covering the clashes in Belgorod.

Russian Gains in Eastern and Southern Ukraine

While Ukraine attempts to shift the battlefield dynamics in Belgorod, its forces are under increasing pressure in eastern and southern Ukraine.

In Donetsk, Russian troops have intensified their assault on the Pokrovsk area, with some of the heaviest attacks seen this year. However, Ukrainian forces have reportedly slowed the rate of territorial losses since January.

Further south, the situation in Zaporizhzhia is deteriorating for Ukraine. Military spokesperson Vladyslav Voloshyn reported a significant increase in Russian assaults using small infantry groups. Geolocated footage confirms Russian advances into the town of Shcherbaky, which Moscow claims to have captured.

A Ukrainian military analyst acknowledged Russia’s gains in the region but noted the heavy losses their troops have suffered. Another expert estimates that Russia has amassed around 70,000 troops along the Zaporizhzhia front, along with hundreds of tanks and artillery units. Russia currently occupies about three-quarters of the region and has illegally declared its full annexation.

Ceasefire Talks Stall as Russia Seeks More Territory

Efforts to negotiate ceasefires, particularly in the Black Sea, have yielded little progress. The Kremlin has added conditions deemed unacceptable by both Ukraine and its European allies.

Despite a recent agreement to halt attacks on energy infrastructure, both sides accuse each other of continuing strikes. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that “Russia reserves the right not to comply with the moratorium on attacking the energy sector, which Kyiv constantly violates.”

Russian negotiator Grigory Karasin indicated that a broader ceasefire agreement is unlikely before the end of the year. Talks in Riyadh “did not lead to anything radical,” he said, adding that any meaningful progress might only come in late 2025.

Zelensky has warned that Russia is using the ceasefire discussions to stall while preparing a fresh offensive.

“They’re dragging out the talks and trying to get the U.S. stuck in endless, pointless discussions about fake ‘conditions’ just to buy time and then try to grab more land,” he said during a visit to Paris. “Putin wants to negotiate over territory from a stronger position.”

As both sides continue to escalate operations, the prospect of a resolution remains distant. Ukraine’s counterattacks in Belgorod and Russia’s push into eastern and southern Ukraine suggest that neither side is willing to back down, making an end to the war increasingly uncertain.