Since Tuesday morning, there has been intense activity around Belgorod, near Russia’s southern border with Ukraine. Russian Telegram channels, citing their security service connections, report that Ukrainian forces are attempting an incursion, having already attacked a border station in the area.

Belgorod borders the Kursk region, where Ukrainian troops took control of Russian territory after a surprise invasion on August 6.

According to Reuters, the Mash channel reported that around 500 Ukrainian soldiers attacked two Russian checkpoints in Nekhoteevka and Shebekino in the Belgorod region. Mash noted that up to 200 Ukrainian soldiers with infantry vehicles attempted to cross the border at Nekhoteevka but came under fire from Russian artillery. Additionally, about 300 Ukrainians attacked the other checkpoint at Shebekino.

There has been no official confirmation of these reports. SHOT, another Telegram news channel, stated that Ukrainian forces were repelled from Nekhoteevka into the surrounding forests after suffering losses, while there were no clashes reported in Shebekino.

In a message on Telegram, Belgorod regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov did not address the alleged border fighting but stated, “Our situation remains difficult.” He added, “There are reports that the enemy is trying to breach the Belgorod region border. Our military is carrying out planned operations. Please stay calm and rely only on official sources of information.”

Ukraine didn’t plan the Kursk invasion alone, says Moscow

The director of Russia’s intelligence service, Sergey Naryshkin, stated today that Moscow does not believe Ukraine planned the invasion of the western Russian Kursk region on its own, according to the state news agency Tass. Russia has claimed, without providing evidence, that the United States helped Kyiv launch the surprise attack on Russian territory on August 6.

Similarly, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Sergey Ryabkov said today that U.S. involvement in the ongoing Ukrainian raid in the western Russian Kursk region is a “fact,” as reported by the state news agency TASS. Ryabkov provided no evidence to support this claim but hinted that Moscow’s response might be harsher than before.

The White House has stated that it had no prior knowledge of the Ukrainian operation.

Kyiv says advance continues in Kursk

In the Ukrainian capital, the head of Ukraine’s armed forces said today that Kyiv’s forces continue advancing in Russia’s Kursk region. However, he warned that Moscow is bolstering its troops on the eastern Pokrovsk front, where Russian forces are advancing.

General Oleksandr Syrskyi stated via video link, broadcasted on television, that Russia is attempting to cut Ukrainian supply lines to the Pokrovsk front. He added that the overall situation there remains challenging.