'War must return where it came from': Ukraine forces 'active in second Russian border region', Zelenskyy confirms
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has confirmed for the first time his troops are conducting operations in a second Russian border region.
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The Ukrainian president revealed he had been briefed by his top commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi, on Ukrainian activities on the front line, in the Kursk region and in the Belgorod region.
Zelenskyy stressed the "war must return to where it came from" as they continue to carry out active operations in the border areas.
He said: "We continue to carry out active operations in the border areas on enemy territory, and that is absolutely just".
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Ukraine currently holds a small area in Russia's Kursk region after an offensive last year, despite Russia's push to squeeze its forces out.
Zelenskyy said in a video address that their main objective remains to the same, "to protect our land and our communities in the Sumy and Kharkiv regions from Russian occupiers".
The Belgorod region is to the north-east of Ukraine, with the border about 30 miles from Kharkiv - Ukraine's second-largest city.
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy recently accused Russia’s Vladimir Putin of “dragging out and obfuscating” efforts to find a peace deal to end the Ukraine war.
While speaking at a meeting of Nato counterparts he called on the alliance to increase pressure on Russia.
With Donald Trump’s commitment to Nato under scrutiny, Mr Lammy also stressed the need for European members of the alliance to step up spending on their own defence to be “fairer” to the US.
Mr Lammy said: “Russia continues to rain down bombs on Ukrainian families, on Ukrainian armed soldiers and, of course, on Ukraine’s infrastructure.
“And they are dragging out and obfuscating all efforts to negotiate. Putin, we see you, and it’s hugely important that Nato allies come together to place more economic pressure on Russia so that they respond and are responsive to the negotiation attempts that President Trump has set out.”
Defence Secretary John Healey is set to convene the next meeting of the “coalition of the willing” on Thursday April 8.
The UK and France have been at the forefront of discussions convening a group of nations who would be willing to join a force to deter Vladimir Putin from attacking again in the event of a peace deal.
Overall, 30 countries are expected to contribute to the group, the Ministry of Defence has said.