What's Zelenskyy's plan for Belgorod? After Kursk fiasco, Ukraine hopes to find leverage

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has confirmed that his troops are active in Belgorod region of Russia, right across Ukrainian border. This makes it the first time that Zelenskyy acknowledged Ukrianinan presence in Belogorod since the war began.

In a video address, Zelenskyy said the 225th Assault Regiment was deployed in the Belgorod region. "Well done, guys! I'm proud of each and every one who is fighting for Ukraine!" said Zelenskyy.

This comes after Moscow retook most of the Kursk region while Kyiv is holding on to a tiny strip of Russian land in the area.

Notably, Belgorod, with a population of 1.5 million, is located close to Kursk. In March, Russia had admitted that Belogorod was attacked by Ukraine. However, the Russian military said they had foiled Ukrainian attempts to cross over onto Belgorod.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine is conducting active operations in the border areas, saying the "war must return to where it came from".

By occupying Belgorod, Zelenskyy is hoping to divert Russia's attention away from the Kharkiv and Sumy regions of Ukraine. Kyiv is also seeking to "ease the pressure" on other regions like Donetsk.

Ukraine would also be trying to hold on to as much Russian territory as possible in order to exchange the occupied territories for future ceasefire negotiations led by the US.

Zelenskyy last month had hinted at Ukrainian troop presence in the area, saying, "There is an operation there."

On Monday, Trump said he was unhappy about Russian attacks on Ukraine, saying Moscow is "bombing like crazy right now."

World