The Russian Defense Ministry claimed on March 18 that the Ukrainian Armed Forces attempted to enter Russia's Belgorod Oblast but were repelled by the Russian military.
The news of an alleged Ukrainian offensive in Belgorod Oblast surfaced in Russian media just ahead of the phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump.
Andrii Kovalenko, head of Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation, denied the claims.
Ukraine allegedly launched an offensive on Belgorod Oblast to "discredit Trump's peace initiatives," the Russian Defense Ministry claimed.
According to the ministry, Ukraine carried out five assaults toward the settlements of Demidovka and Prilesye.
"All attacks were repulsed by the actions of the state border protection units of the 'North' forces group, artillery fire and the use of FPV (first-person-view) drones. No crossing of the state border of the Russian Federation was allowed," the ministry's statement read.
Ukrainian authorities did not comment on the statement of the Russian Defense Ministry.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify these claims.
Belgorod Oblast borders Ukraine's Sumy, Kharkiv, and Luhansk oblasts and is regularly used by Russia to launch strikes against Ukrainian territory.
Belgorod Oblast authorities have repeatedly accused Ukraine of launching attacks against the region and Belgorod proper throughout the full-scale war.
Recently, multiple clashes have been reported in the region amid Ukraine's ongoing cross-border incursion focused on neighboring Kursk Oblast.
Oleg Sukhov
(Updated: )
