Ukrainian forces have countered Russian attempts to expel them from one area of Russian territory by launching a series of attacks on another border region using drones, artillery, and ground troops.
According to Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov, more than 20 villages in Russia’s Belgorod region—spanning a 150-kilometer (90-mile) stretch along the Ukrainian border—have come under attack. The Ukrainian military has not officially acknowledged the operation.
The Ukrainian assault appears to be a response to recent setbacks in Russia’s Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces seized over 1,000 square kilometers last August. However, a renewed Russian offensive, backed by North Korean troops, has recently pushed them back to the border.
Both Russia and Ukraine are seeking territorial gains along the 1,000-kilometer frontline as weather conditions improve, while the Trump administration is actively pressing for a ceasefire.
Amidst escalating tensions, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday called for an urgent “strong response” from the United States in his nightly address. Citing overnight aerial attacks on Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih, and other locations, he stressed the need for immediate action.
“We expect a serious response. We are working toward it,” he stated, referencing 172 drone strikes on Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure Friday night. “A strong response is urgently needed—above all from the US, Europe, and all who believe in diplomacy. Russia must be forced into peace—only pressure will work.”
Ukraine’s General Staff reported that a military hospital in Kharkiv was struck by Russian drones late Saturday, injuring soldiers receiving treatment. Elsewhere in the city, two people were killed, and 25 others were wounded.
Ukrainian Forces on the Defensive
It remains unclear whether Ukraine’s attacks in Belgorod aim to capture and hold Russian territory or serve as a diversionary tactic to relieve pressure on Ukrainian troops in Kursk and the neighboring Sumy region.
Ukraine’s commander-in-chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, reported Thursday that Russian units were attempting incursions into Sumy. On Saturday, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed to have captured a small settlement in the region.
So far, Ukraine’s incursion into Belgorod appears far less ambitious than last year’s offensive in Kursk. Russian officials report that it began nearly two weeks ago with several cross-border attacks.
The extent of Ukraine’s progress remains uncertain. Unofficial Russian sources indicate a Ukrainian presence several kilometers inside Russia. A Russian military blogger reported Saturday that Ukrainian forces had established a foothold in Popovka, Belgorod, where “heavy fighting continues.” Earlier this week, Russian TV journalist Anna Prokofieva was killed in the same area.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces face mounting challenges. In eastern Ukraine, Russian troops are intensifying assaults in the Pokrovsk area of Donetsk at levels unseen this year, according to the Ukrainian blog Deep State. However, the blog noted that Ukraine has slowed the rate of territorial losses since January.
Further south, in Zaporizhzhia, the situation for Ukraine is deteriorating. Military spokesperson Vladyslav Voloshyn reported Friday that Russian attacks, primarily using small infantry groups, had “increased significantly.”
Geolocated footage confirms Russian advances into the town of Shcherbaky, which the Russian Defense Ministry claimed on Saturday. A Russian military blog described ongoing heavy fighting in the area.
Ukrainian military analysts acknowledge Russian gains, particularly near a strategic highway, though they highlight significant Russian casualties. Analyst Kostiantyn Mashovets estimates that Russia has amassed up to 70,000 troops along the Zaporizhzhia front, alongside hundreds of tanks and artillery pieces.
The Kremlin controls approximately three-quarters of Zaporizhzhia and has illegally declared its full annexation.
Ceasefire Talks Stall
Despite US mediation efforts, negotiations on limited ceasefires are making little headway. The Kremlin has introduced conditions for a Black Sea ceasefire that are unacceptable to Ukraine and its European allies.
Both sides continue to accuse each other of targeting energy infrastructure, despite a prior agreement to halt such strikes. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated Friday 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 Friday that a comprehensive ceasefire is unlikely before the end of the year. He described recent talks in Riyadh as failing to produce “anything radical,” adding that any real progress might only come later in the year.
Zelensky warned that Russia is planning a multi-pronged offensive in the coming weeks to solidify its territorial gains ahead of potential ceasefire negotiations.
“They’re dragging out the talks and trying to bog the US down in endless, pointless discussions over fake ‘conditions’ just to buy time and seize more land,” Zelensky said Thursday during a visit to Paris. “Putin wants to negotiate from a position of strength.”
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