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By John Feng and Maya Mehrara
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Russia's defense ministry has denied claims that Ukraine advanced into its Belgorod Oblast after launching a cross-border incursion, according to independent media outlet ASTRA.
But subsequent reports this week paint a different picture.
Newsweek reached out to Ukraine's defense ministry for comment via email.
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Why It Matters
Ukraine's apparent attempt to invade Russian territory in the Belgorod Oblast came during peace talks with Washington in Saudi Arabia, before the agreed ceasefire in the Black Sea, which was announced on Tuesday.
But the fight elsewhere for leverage in further ceasefire talks appears to be continuing, and if Kyiv succeeds in gaining a Belgorod foothold, it is hard to see Moscow agreeing a wider peace while Ukrainian troops are in its territory.
What To Know
Russian military bloggers had accused Ukraine on March 18 of initiating an incursion into Belgorod by trying to break through the border in the Krasnoyarsk region, according to the Russian outlet Meduza.
However, the Russian Ministry of Defense said its forces had prevented an invasion. In a post on Telegram the same day, it said: "All attacks were repulsed by the actions of the state border protection units of the 'North' forces group, artillery fire and the use of FPV (first-person-view) drones. No crossing of the state border of the Russian Federation was allowed."
A week later, citing a Kremlin-affiliated military blogger, the Institute for the Study of War reported on March 24, that Ukrainian forces had made advances inside Russia near the border villages of Demidovka and Popovka.
The Washington D.C.-based think tank also cited unconfirmed reports by Russian military bloggers that Moscow had seized Demidovka and Popovka and advanced to the west of Prilesye. The ISW noted that some military bloggers reported it differently, saying that Ukrainian forces attacked Demidovka, and that the southern part of the settlement is a contested "gray zone."
The ISW also cited multiple Russian military bloggers' reports that Russian forces had pushed back Ukrainian attacks toward Popovka on the night of March 24 to 25. Newsweek has yet to verify these claims.
Due to the increased conflict in the region, Belgorod's governor Vyacheslav Gladkov wrote on Telegram that "almost all the residents have left" the village of Tishanka in the region. He noted that the village is located "several kilometers from the border, the operational situation is difficult," and that Ukraine has hit "residential buildings, destroying social facilities."
Previously, Ukraine had captured territory in Russia's Kursk region which could have been used in peace talks to try to negotiate a return of its territory held by Russia. But Ukraine has lost ground there and the region was recently visited by Russian President Vladimir Putin, the first time he's been there since Ukraine invaded in August last year.
What People Are Saying
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Tim White, a journalist, wrote: "There are once again unconfirmed reports of Ukraine breaking through into Russia at another point on the border in Belgorod. Some Russian channels claim Ukraine infantry troops reached Demidovka. There is no verification, but raiding parties are fairly regular."
Euan MacDonald, a freelance journalist, wrote on X: "Obvious Putin wouldn't consider ceasefire while part of Russia was still occupied by Ukraine - hence the surge to crush the Kursk salient before "peace talks" with Trump. But this Belgorod incursion by UA could now upset any Trump/Putin plans. Never discount Ukrainian agency. https://x.com/olliecarroll/s/olliecarroll/status/1902047656878264573"
Andrii Kovalenko, the head of the counter-disinformation department at Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, previously rejected claims that Ukraine tried to invade Belgorod on Telegram: "Border battles continue almost constantly throughout a large-scale war, both due to the activity of the enemy's artillery from the Belgorod region, and artillery duels due to the activity of their artillery on the territory of Ukraine."
"The fact that it is now very profitable for the Russians to pump up the air before Trump's conversation with Putin is not surprising. Their main information strategy is to accuse Ukraine of unwillingness to end the war, although in reality they are attacking from the front, as well as from the air. And it is Putin who is dragging out Trump's proposal to cease fire. Everything is very primitive, but quite typical of the Russians."
What Happens Next
Since Kovalenko's statement, Ukraine has not commented on the rising conflict in the Belgorod region.
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