Russian Forces Expand Offensive Near Belgorod Border and Kharkov
Russian troops captured several border settlements in March 2026, accelerating advances near Belgorod as fighting intensifies toward Kharkov, analyst says.
In March 2026, units of the Russian Armed Forces took control of several Ukrainian settlements located near the border with the Grayvoronsky and Shebekinsky districts of the Belgorod Region. This was reported by military analyst, combat veteran and Colonel Gennady Alekhin.
He emphasized that despite the small size of these villages, their military value remains significant. At the same time, Alekhin pointed to a noticeable acceleration in the pace of the Russian advance. According to his assessment, where frontline reports previously mentioned gains of just a few hundred meters, advances in March reached at least two to three kilometers.
The intensity of fighting, he added, has increased along the Volchansky, Kupyansky and Liptsovsky directions, as well as in the areas of Kazachya Lopan and Russkaya Lozovaya. In his view, this could signal a developing offensive by Russian forces toward Kharkov.
At the same time, it is from the territory of the Kharkov Region that Ukrainian forces carry out a significant share of shelling targeting the Belgorod Region and launch drones. Against this backdrop, Russian troops have been tasked with establishing a buffer zone on Ukrainian territory.