Ukrainian forces have reportedly tried to break into Russia's Belgorod region, according to claims made on Russian Telegram channels on Tuesday.
The southern region, which shares a border with Kursk, allegedly faced an attack by 500 Ukrainian troops who targeted two checkpoints at Nekhoteyevka and Shebekino. The Mash Telegram channel reported that the fighting was "ongoing."
Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of the Belgorod region, acknowledged that the situation was "difficult but under control."
“There are reports that the enemy is attempting to breach the Belgorod region’s border,” Mr. Gladkov stated. “Our military is conducting planned operations. Please stay calm and rely only on official information sources.”
Belgorod is adjacent to the Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces launched an invasion on August 6, seizing over 1,150 square kilometers of territory. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized on Tuesday that Ukraine must be in a strong position to secure peace with Russia.
Speaking at a press conference in Kyiv, Zelensky noted that the war would ultimately end through "dialogue" and disclosed plans to introduce a new peace proposal.
Zelensky mentioned that Kyiv intends to present the plan to U.S. presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. Meanwhile, air raid sirens were heard near the Kursk nuclear power plant on Tuesday afternoon, signaling a potential missile threat.
Rafael Grossi, head of the UN's nuclear agency, is currently inspecting the plant to "independently assess conditions" following Russian President Vladimir Putin's claims that Kyiv attempted to attack it last week. Ukraine continues to advance in the Kursk region, according to Kyiv's top commander on Tuesday.
Oleksandr Syrskyi stated that Ukrainian forces have gained control of more than 100 settlements in the border area since launching their cross-border assault on August 6.
Syrskyi also reported that 594 Russian soldiers had been captured by Ukrainian forces in Kursk.
Last week, 115 Russian soldiers were returned to Moscow and 115 to Kyiv as part of a prisoner exchange. The governor of Russia's Belgorod region claimed on Tuesday that Ukraine had attacked three settlements within the region in the past 24 hours.
Vyacheslav Gladkov reported that a warehouse in the village of Petrovka was damaged, a car was destroyed by an explosive device in Novoye, and a commercial facility in Golovchino caught fire after being hit by a "suicide drone." He noted that there were no casualties.
Rafael Grossi, the chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency, will visit a nuclear power plant in Kursk on Tuesday. This visit comes after Putin claimed that Ukraine attempted to attack the plant last week.
Grossi stated that he will "independently assess what is happening" at the Russian power facility. Kyiv has not responded to Putin's allegations.
Ukraine launched its offensive into Russia’s border region of Kursk on August 6. Since then, Ukrainian forces have claimed to capture more than 1,150 square kilometers of land across over 90 settlements.
However, the Kursk region was not the only area targeted as part of a broader counter-offensive by Kyiv. About 10 days after Ukrainian forces entered Kursk, Moscow had to declare a federal-level state of emergency in the neighboring Belgorod region.
At that time, Belgorod’s Governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, described the situation as "extremely difficult" as the region faced daily shelling.
“Houses were destroyed, and civilians were killed or injured,” he said on August 14.
Although shelling has continued in the region, Kyiv has yet to break through into the border area.
Sir Keir Starmer stated that "no new or different" decisions have been made by his government regarding the war in Ukraine after being questioned about whether Kyiv should be permitted to use Storm Shadow missiles inside Russia.
Speaking from the rose garden at 10 Downing Street, the Prime Minister reiterated: “Regarding Ukraine, as I have said many times, the stance of this government is unchanged from that of the previous administration. No new or different decisions have been taken.
"We have committed additional resources in terms of both financial and weapons support."
Sir Keir added: “As I have told President Zelensky and the people of Ukraine, we will stand with them for as long as it takes.
"I will not delve into tactical questions about the use of weapons for reasons you surely understand.”
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