‘War Must Return Where It Came From’ – Zelensky Confirms Ukrainian Troops in Russia’s Belgorod

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has officially confirmed the presence of Ukrainian military personnel in Russia’s Belgorod Oblast.

In his evening address on Monday, April 7, Zelensky said he had received a report from the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), Oleksandr Syrsky.

“Today, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky reported separately: the front, our presence in the Kursk Oblast, and our presence in the Belgorod Oblast,” Zelensky said.

“We continue to conduct active operations in border areas on enemy territory – and this is absolutely right. The war must return to where it came from.”

Zelensky emphasized that the main objective of the AFU’s operations remains the defense of Ukrainian territory, particularly communities in the Sumy and Kharkiv regions.

According to the president, Syrsky reported on the activity of Ukrainian units along the border, in the so-called “gray zone,” and directly on Russian territory.

“It is important that thanks to the courage and resilience of our soldiers in the Kursk region, and thanks to the entire Kursk operation, we managed to reduce pressure on other areas of the front, particularly in the Donetsk region,” Zelensky said.

The President added it was essential to continue destroying Russian equipment and the logistics infrastructure used by the Kremlin troops along the front.

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He thanked every unit contributing to these efforts, inflicting losses on Russian forces, and defending Ukrainian positions.

“And also – the Belgorod Oblast. Active operations these days – the 225th Assault Regiment. Well done, guys! I am proud of everyone fighting for Ukraine!” Zelensky said.

Reports of Ukrainian forces operating in Belgorod Oblast first emerged in March, when Russian military bloggers claimed that Ukrainian troops had crossed the border. Later, Russian authorities reportedly ordered evacuations in parts of the region.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) also recently reported Ukrainian advances in the area.

However, until now, there was no official confirmation of the AFU’s presence in Belgorod Oblast.

In his address, Zelensky also announced that Ukraine is ramping up domestic drone production — including long-range UAVs.

“Reports on the production of drones in Ukraine – we are maximizing. Across the entire range of drones: from Mavics to long-range drones. We are also expanding our capabilities for producing ground-based robotic systems,” Zelensky said.

He stressed the need for constant, stable growth in production and supply of drones for the military. According to him, there are good prospects for achieving this in 2025.

Ukraine is also working on developing fiber-optic drones, which are resistant to electronic warfare systems. Since the beginning of the year, 20 new certified models have been introduced, with 11 Ukrainian enterprises already involved in their production.

Zelensky said the priority now is to scale up production and deliveries as much as possible and confirmed that he has instructed the government to sign contracts to the maximum extent.

“There is also a positive trend regarding ‘deep strikes’ [long-range drones]. I cannot disclose specific numbers, but this year we will provide the necessary volume for our Defense Forces,” he said.