Ukrainians Forces' Belgorod Offensive Expands As Russians Flee

Ukrainian forces initiated their incursion into Russia's Belgorod oblast as a means of countering Kremlin units organizing to attack Ukraine's Sumy and of protecting the 100 square kilometers of Kursk the Ukrainians still hold.

But the Russian opposition in Belgorod has been so weak and the Ukrainian incursion so successful in taking territory, that Ukraine has expanded the commitment of troops and weaponry to the effort as a means of destabilizing the Kremlin's already shaky military performance which is proving inadequate to demands for both offense and defense in multiple locations. JL

Yevhenia Martinyuk reports in Euromaidan Press:

Ukrainian forces have penetrated the village of Demidovka in Russia’s Belgorod Oblast. Located just 2km from Ukraine’s Sumy Oblast border and south of Sudzha in Kursk, Demidovka represents a new front in the war. Both Russian and Ukrainian sources confirm active fighting in the area. Russian forces completely f***ed up when the enemy cleared mines at the border and pulled back Dragon’s Teeth using armored vehicles to create a corridor to Demidovka. They just gave it up."  Belgorod officials announced they evacuated 96% of the district’s population. Ukrainian forces (also) still control100 square kilometers of Russian border territory in Kursk oblast.

Ukrainian forces have penetrated the village of Demidovka in Russia’s Belgorod Oblast, according to several Russian pro-military Telegram channels. These reports have gained attention from both the Belgorod-based Pepel channel and Ukrainian media.

Located just 2km from Ukraine’s Sumy Oblast border and south of Sudzha in Kursk, Demidovka represents a new front in the war. Both Russian and Ukrainian sources confirm active fighting in the area. This incursion follows Ukraine’s withdrawal from most of the Sudzhansky district in Kursk Oblast—territory they had controlled since August 2024. Despite this partial pullback, Ukrainian forces still control approximately 100 square kilometers of Russian border territory.

ISW map from 20 March 2025

In response, Russian forces have captured territory near Noven’ke in Ukraine’s Sumy Oblast, where intense combat continues as they press their advance.

These military developments coincide with ongoing “shuttle diplomacy” peace talks in Saudi Arabia. The American delegation met with Ukrainian officials on Sunday and Russian representatives on Monday, with another US-Ukraine meeting scheduled. Ukraine’s presence on Russian soil likely serves as leverage in these negotiations.

Euromaidan Press has been investigating the week-long developments in Russia’s Belgorod Oblast.

Ukraine clears path, advances through Demidovka streets

 

The Telegram channel Starshiy Pogrannaryad first reported Ukrainian forces breaking through to Demidovka in the morning, advancing along the settlement’s central street.

Russian Z-blogger Vladimir Romanov published footage showing a panoramic view of Demidovka village. He reported that Ukrainian forces cleared a border section and moved Dragon’s Teeth anti-tank obstacles using armored vehicles to create an entry corridor.

Z-blogger Vladimir Romanov published footage showing a panoramic view of Demidovka. Video: Romanov via Telegram

“How did this happen? Russian forces completely f***ed up the moment when the enemy cleared mines at the border and pulled back the Dragon’s Teeth using armored vehicles to create a corridor to Demidovka,” Romanov stated bluntly. “They just gave it up. They just left. After that, the enemy occupied it.”

Subsequently, Pepel released a video showing Ukrainian infantry moving through the village’s outskirts.

The Ukrainian infantry moving through the village’s outskirts. Video: Pepel

“In the video, a group of Ukrainian soldiers, according to geolocation, is advancing through the courtyards of houses on Molodyozhnaya Street, located on the outskirts of the village, 1 kilometer from the border with Ukraine,” their post detailed.

The Russian Ministry of Defense-affiliated channel Rybar acknowledged mixed reports about control of the settlement but confirmed Ukrainian soldiers are “definitely present” in the area.

Ukraine destroys four Russian helicopters in HIMARS strike

 

Ukrainian military officials have not confirmed any offensive. However, on Monday morning, the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces (SSO) announced via Telegram that they had struck a “camouflaged position” of the Russian army in Belgorod Oblast, destroying four Russian helicopters—two Ka-52 Alligator and two Mi-8 models. These aircraft were likely being used against advancing Ukrainian forces.

The Ukrainian Special Operations Forces (SSO) destroyed four Russian helicopters in Belgorod Oblast. Video: SSO via Telegram

“All helicopters were destroyed by missile strikes in the enemy’s rear, where the enemy created a landing pad for aviation—a camouflaged position for quick deployment of aircraft or unexpected attacks,” stated the SSO on Telegram.

The SSO reported using HIMARS M30A2 munitions, each containing 180,000 tungsten fragments. According to Pepel, the target was a helicopter pad near the Belgorod village of Ivnya, approximately 50 km from Demidovka—about 10-15 minutes by helicopter.

Military expert Yan Matveev commented: “The war in Belgorod Oblast continues. The Russian army deployed helicopters there, and the Ukrainians detected and struck them with HIMARS.”

Ukrainian military expert Oleksandr Kovalenko noted: “The Mi-8 AMTSH is the most advanced modification, worth over $15 million—more expensive than the Ka-52 attack helicopter.” He estimated Russia’s financial losses at over $60 million, adding: “Due to sanctions, Russia’s helicopter production is severely slowed. They won’t replace these losses for up to six months.”

Russian authorities evacuate 96% of the area amid Ukraine’s offensive

At the beginning of last week, Russian pro-military bloggers and Belgorod authorities reported a Ukrainian offensive in the Krasnoyaruzhsky district. They claimed Ukrainian forces had established positions in a forested area near Demidovka and taken control of the Liptsy area west of the Prilesye settlement.

 

Authorities declared evacuations in the Krasnoyaruzhsky district despite reported difficulties with the process. By Monday, Belgorod officials announced they had evacuated over 96% of the district’s population, with fewer than 470 remaining from its 13,817 residents (as of January 2024).

Russian bloggers shared footage of destroyed military equipment, claiming Ukrainian forces suffered heavy losses during the offensive.

Andrii Kovalenko, head of the Ukrainian Center for Counteracting Disinformation, initially dismissed these reports: “They made it up, they won, this often happens with Russians.” However, President Zelenskyy later acknowledged the operation, describing it as preemptive: “There is an operation: it may seem to someone that someone is running, while elsewhere in another corner, forces have entered.”

Zelenskyy framed the action as necessary to prevent Russia from opening new fronts, noting Russian troop concentrations along the Sumy border and buildups near Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia oblasts.

Ukrainian officials have not provided further comments, while military experts and bloggers have remained largely silent on the situation.