Zelensky Confirms Ukrainian Troop Operations Inside Russia’s Border Regions

 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky publicly confirmed for the first time that Ukrainian forces are operating inside Russia’s Belgorod and Kursk regions, in what he described as defensive actions aimed at protecting Ukrainian border communities.

In his nightly address on Monday, Zelensky said Ukraine’s top commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi, delivered an update on troop activities beyond Ukraine’s borders.

“We continue active operations in the enemy’s border areas, and this is absolutely justified,” Zelensky said. “The war must return to where it came from.”

He emphasized that Ukraine’s primary goal remains defending the Sumy and Kharkiv regions from Russian attacks. Ukrainian troops have reportedly maintained a presence in parts of Kursk for eight months, despite Russian attempts to reclaim territory following a cross-border incursion.

Zelensky praised the performance of the 225th Assault Regiment, which has been operating in these contested areas. He noted that Ukraine’s actions in Kursk helped ease pressure elsewhere, particularly in the eastern Donetsk region — the primary battlefield of the ongoing war.

“Due to the entire Kursk operation, we have managed to reduce pressure on other frontline sectors,” he said.

Although the president had previously alluded to Ukrainian activity "a little below the Kursk region" — indirectly referencing Belgorod — this marks his clearest acknowledgment of Ukraine's expanded operations on Russian soil.

Russian military bloggers have reported clashes in Belgorod between Russian and Ukrainian forces in recent days. On Sunday, Moscow claimed its troops had captured the village of Basivka in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region, across from Kursk, and were attacking Ukrainian positions in other settlements.

However, a Ukrainian military spokesperson denied that Basivka had fallen to Russian forces.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly floated the idea of establishing a “buffer zone” along the border to prevent Ukrainian incursions, while Kyiv maintains its strategy is focused on defending its own population and drawing Russian forces away from critical points on the front lines.