**Ukraine Destroys Russian Command Post in Belgorod Oblast**
Ukrainian troops have reportedly destroyed a command post of the Third Motor Rifle Division of the 20th Army of the Russian Armed Forces near the village of Demidovka in Russia’s Belgorod Oblast. This incident occurred on March 18, according to Ukraine’s General Staff.
The news comes after Moscow claimed that Ukrainian troops launched an offensive on Belgorod Oblast. However, Andrii Kovalenko, head of the counter-disinformation department at Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, rejected Russia’s claims. President Volodymyr Zelensky neither confirmed nor denied Ukrainian operations in Belgorod Oblast.
The Ukrainian military stated that Russia used the command post to plan and conduct combat operations against Ukrainian soldiers in Sumy Oblast. Demidovka is located around five kilometers east of the Ukrainian border.
**Russian Claims Rejected**
Andrii Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s counter-disinformation department, rejected Russia’s claims about an alleged Ukrainian offensive on Belgorod Oblast. President Zelensky did not confirm or deny Ukrainian operations in Belgorod Oblast.
**Ukraine’s Military Actions**
The statement from the General Staff said that eliminating the command post significantly reduces the ability of Russian units to operate effectively. The Kyiv Independent could not verify these claims.
**Regional Tensions**
Belgorod Oblast has been used by Russia to launch strikes against Ukrainian territory. Recently, multiple clashes have occurred in the region amid Ukraine’s ongoing cross-border incursion focused on neighboring Kursk Oblast.
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