On the night of March 18, 2025, the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) launched an offensive on the border of the Belgorod region, concentrating the attack in the area of ​​the village of Grafovka in the Krasnoyarsk district. This was reported by Russian war correspondents recording the escalation in the border area. According to the Telegram channel "War Correspondents of the Russian Spring", by the morning the AFU had pulled tanks, infantry on ATVs and heavy equipment, including mine clearing vehicles, to the area at the junction of the Belgorod and Kursk regions. Russian troops met the enemy with artillery fire and long-range weapons, preventing a breakthrough of the defense, as the channel "Arkhangel Spetsnaz" specifies.

Grafovka became the epicenter of the clash, which is confirmed by "Two Majors" and "Veteran's Notes". Active artillery operations continue, the Ukrainian Armed Forces infantry is consolidating its positions after an unsuccessful attempt to break through. The region's governor Vyacheslav Gladkov reported that a service bus was blown up by an explosive device in the Grafovka area - three people were injured: two women and a man, their condition is being clarified. At the same time as the Ukrainian Armed Forces advanced, they used drones: in Krasnaya Yaruga, a drone fell next to a transformer, causing a fire, and in the village of Stepnoye, a UAV hit a passenger car. The Baza Telegram channel adds that another drone hit a truck, injuring the driver.

The Belgorod Region remains a high-risk zone. In February 2025, according to the Russian Defense Ministry, the Ukrainian Armed Forces shelled border areas using MLRS, damaging the infrastructure of the Graivoronsky District. Experts attribute the intensification of attacks to Ukraine's attempts to destabilize the region before the conflict escalates in the spring. Russian forces are strengthening their air defenses and increasing their presence in the combat zone, seeking to stop the enemy's advance. Residents are urged to avoid movement near the border, as the fighting near Grafovka continues and the threat of new strikes remains.