**Ukraine Launches Raid into Russian Territory**
In late March, Ukrainian troops launched a small-scale incursion into Russia‘s Belgorod Oblast. Military experts say this may be Ukraine’s attempt to alleviate pressure from its own troops fighting in the adjacent Kursk Oblast.
**Pressure on Kursk Oblast**
Following Russia’s recapture of the logistics hub of Sudzha in mid-March, Ukrainian troops were forced to withdraw from a substantial part of Russia’s Kursk Oblast. This region was in Kyiv‘s hands for over seven months.
**New Cross-Border Operation**
Using both mechanized attacks and small-scale infiltration tactics, Ukraine has been attempting a new cross-border operation. John Hardie, deputy director of the Russia program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said it is unclear which side controls the villages in no-man’s land near the border.
**Limited Gains**
According to Hardie, “it doesn’t look like any gains Ukraine has made have been very significant in terms of territory taken.” The scale of the Belgorod Oblast raid and its proximity to Russian units already fighting in Kursk Oblast likely won’t allow a huge diversion of Russian forces.
**Unclear Motives**
It is still unclear whether Ukraine wants to hold onto the possible captured territory in Belgorod Oblast for longer or if it was meant to be a short-term raid. Kyiv has carried out occasional cross-border raids since 2023, with Russian volunteer soldiers fighting alongside Ukraine leading the way.
**Russian Response**
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that Ukrainian troops were trying to “wedge” into the western part of Belgorod Oblast, toward the villages of Demidovka and Prilesye. Moscow also claimed to have killed 60 Ukrainian soldiers and destroyed several vehicles.
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