Kyiv [Ukraine], April 8: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed for the first time that Ukrainian forces are operating in the Belgorod region of Russia.
Belgorod is a frequent target of airstrikes from Ukraine and is located near Russia's Kursk province, where Ukrainian forces are trying to hold their positions after a surprise attack last year. In March, Russia reported attacks in Belgorod.
In a speech on April 7, Zelensky said Ukrainian Army Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky had reported on "our presence in the Kursk and Belgorod regions," according to AFP.
"We continue to carry out active operations in the border areas on enemy territory, and that is absolutely true - the war must return to where it began," Zelensky added.
For the first time in more than three years since Russia launched its military operation in Ukraine, Zelensky has publicly acknowledged the presence of Ukrainian forces in Belgorod, an area bordering Ukraine with a population of about 1.5 million people.
The Russian military admitted in March that it faced Ukrainian ground attacks in the region, while Ukrainian forces were under pressure in Kursk.
According to the military blog DeepState (close to the Ukrainian army), Ukrainian soldiers have taken control of an area 13 kilometers wide2 near the border village of Demidovka, in the territory of Russia.
Zelensky and other Ukrainian officials said the raids on Kursk and other Russian territories were aimed at dispersing Russian forces that were attacking Ukraine's Sumy and Kharkiv regions.
"The commander-in-chief reported on the activity of our units along the border, as well as in the so-called 'gray zone' and directly on enemy territory," Zelensky added in his speech.
The Russian side has not commented on the above statement. In recent times, Russia has claimed to have won several settlements in Ukraine's Sumy Oblast, which borders Belgorod and Kursk.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
