Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has confirmed for the first time that Ukrainian soldiers are carrying out operations inside Russia’s Belgorod region.

In his speech on Monday night, April 7, 2025, Zelensky said, “We are taking action in enemy border areas, and that is fair—war must return to where it started.”

He explained that the goal is to defend Ukraine’s border regions, especially Sumy and Kharkiv, and reduce the pressure on other battle zones like Donetsk in the east.

Zelensky also mentioned that Ukrainian forces are active in both Belgorod and Kursk regions in Russia. These operations aim to pull Russian troops away from Ukraine’s key battlegrounds.

This confirmation comes after reports from Russian bloggers and the U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War, which said that Ukrainian troops had moved into the Belgorod region and were holding positions near the villages of Demidovka and Prilesye. These movements are believed to be part of Ukraine’s strategy to force Russia to move some of its forces away from Donetsk, where Russian troops have been advancing.

In other news, U.S. President Donald Trump voiced concern about Russia’s continued attacks on Ukraine, despite ceasefire talks. Trump said he was “not happy about what’s going on” and accused Russia of “bombing like crazy.”

His comments came after a deadly Russian missile strike on Zelensky’s hometown, Kryvyi Rih. The attack killed 20 people, including nine children, and injured more than 70 others.

Russia has denied blocking peace talks and claims it supports a ceasefire. Still, many doubt whether Moscow is truly willing to stop the fighting.