Since Tuesday, Russian military sources have been reporting Ukrainian ground attacks in Belgorod Oblast, claiming that Ukrainian units are attempting to breach defenses along the Russian border in the Krasnoyaruzhsky district, which borders the Kursk region.
Ukrainian forces recently withdrew from most of the Sudzhansky district in Kursk, which they had held since August 2024, though they still control some border areas of Russian territory. In response, Russian forces have occupied a small section of Ukrainian territory near the village of Noven’ke in Sumy Oblast, with intense fighting continuing as Russian forces advance.
Ukrainian officials have been reluctant to comment on the Belgorod operation. Andrii Kovalenko, head of the Center for Counteracting Disinformation, initially dismissed reports as Russian fabrications.
“They made it up, they won, this often happens with Russians,” he wrote on Telegram.
However, President Zelenskyy later acknowledged the operation, framing it as a preemptive measure to prevent Russia from opening new fronts. He noted that Russia is concentrating forces along the Sumy border for a potential strike while also building up troops near Kharkiv and in the Zaporizhzhia direction.
“There is an operation: it may seem to someone that someone is running, while elsewhere in another corner, forces have entered,” he explained.
Ukrainian military command and bloggers have kept silent on the Belgorod operation, prompting Euromaidan Press to investigate independently.
What Russians say is going on?
On Tuesday, 18 March, Russia’s Defense Ministry officially announced that Ukraine attempted to infiltrate troops into the western Belgorod Oblast at 5:50 a.m., targeting the Demidovka and Prilesye settlements. Moscow claimed that the operation was aimed at creating a “negative backdrop” for the US-Russia presidential phone call and “discrediting Donald Trump’s peace initiatives.”
Russian officials asserted that Ukrainian forces made five attempts to attack Belgorod on Tuesday, all of which were allegedly repelled.
“Up to 200 Ukrainian soldiers and 29 military vehicles, including five tanks, 16 armored personnel carriers, and three engineering vehicles, were involved,” according to their statement.
By Wednesday morning, Russian military Telegram channels reported that all Ukrainian attacks on western Belgorod had been repelled. However, they acknowledged that the situation remained “complex” and warned that Ukraine was reinforcing its reserves and preparing for further strikes.
Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov described the situation in Krasnoyaruzhsky district as “difficult,” although he did not provide further details. By Wednesday, he announced that the district was closed to entry, with police checkpoints set up on all major roads.
“If you do not comply with this decision, you could die,” the governor warned.
Local Telegram channels, Krasnaya Yaruga and Pepel. Belgorod, reported evacuations in some settlements. Governor Gladkov confirmed that authorities were conducting door-to-door visits to encourage residents “to leave their homes temporarily.”
A diversionary maneuver?
Defense analyst Yan Matveev reports that Ukraine’s primary attack moved from Mariino (Sumy Oblast) across the border toward Demidovka in Belgorod.
“The Ukrainian forces used engineering equipment to push aside rows of concrete pyramids, known as ‘dragon’s teeth,’ and to clear a path through the minefield. They then planned to reach the paved road and enter Demidovka,” Matveev wrote on Telegram.
Russian forces countered with FPV and Lancet kamikaze drones. The mine clearing appeared partially unsuccessful, as footage shows two Bradley vehicles disabled by mines. Based on available materials, Matveev identified approximately 9-10 destroyed or damaged Ukrainian vehicles, including:
- 3-4 engineering vehicles
- 3 Bradley fighting vehicles
- 1 BMP-1
- 1 Soviet-era tank
- 1 buggy.
The vehicles appeared to belong to Ukrainian forces from Kursk, identifiable by characteristic triangular markings. However, Matveev notes, “Large groups of infantry are not visible in the footage, and overall, it’s difficult to determine the scale of the attack at this point, especially since there are no materials from the Ukrainian side.”
This area of Belgorod offers no significant strategic value—it consists mainly of empty fields and forests without major roads or settlements. The district center, Krasnaya Yaruga, lies 25 kilometers southeast, suggesting this wasn’t the primary target.
Matveev concludes that this was likely “a diversionary maneuver,” with Ukraine hoping the border was still poorly guarded, allowing them to break into the region quickly and force the Russian army to redirect significant forces from Kursk.
BBC military analyst Ilya Abishev agrees, suggesting it could be “an attempt at a diversionary strike or part of a broader strategy by the Ukrainian forces to stretch the strength of the Russian ‘Northern’ group.”
With Ukrainian forces withdrawing from Sudzha, their command now has additional reserves at its disposal, while Russian forces in Kursk remain focused on recapturing all Russian territory.
A buffer zone?
Ukrainian forces continued their attacks on Belgorod Oblast on Wednesday, following the offensive launched the previous day, according to the Russian exiled media project Agenstvo (Agency). While the Russian Ministry of Defense and pro-Kremlin blogs reported all attacks were repelled, OSINT analysts offer a different perspective.
According to the Conflict Intelligence Team (CIT), Ukrainian troops advanced up to one kilometer into Belgorod before being pushed back. The attack toward Demidovka involved “a unit as large as a battalion,” a CIT expert told Agentstvo.
Data on fires in the area confirms that fighting may have taken place across an area of up to 10 square kilometers.
Oliver Carroll, a correspondent for The Economist, citing a source, reported that the operation had been planned for three weeks, and Ukrainians had advanced even further.
“I’m told the operation was 3 weeks in the making, the idea is to create a ‘buffer zone,’ as Putin threatened in Ukraine. A source says they are several kilometers inside Russia and moving,” he wrote.
Read more:
- Ukraine could have built anti-Putin Russia in Kursk but didn’t. That was a mistake
- Kursk: Ukraine’s success or failure? Western defense experts and a soldier speak out
- After 218 days in Russia, Ukraine is ending its Kursk campaign
- “Plan B was needed yesterday.” Is Ukraine on the brink of withdrawing from Kursk?
