On the evening of March 23, 2025, the Telegram channel "Border Guard from Hell" reported on a breakthrough of Ukrainian troops in the village of Demidovka, located in the Krasnoyarsk district of the Belgorod region. According to the source, the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) used infantry units in the attack, supported by missile strikes using the American ATACMS and HIMARS systems. The authors of the channel noted that the situation remains extremely tense, expressing hope for the resilience of the Russian troops defending the border settlement. At the time of publication of the message, there were no official comments from the Russian Ministry of Defense or regional authorities, which leaves the picture of what is happening not entirely clear. 

According to the information received from the channel, the enemy has taken decisive action to gain a foothold in Demidovka, using the tactics of combining a ground offensive with intensive shelling. The mention of ATACMS and HIMARS indicates the use of long-range precision weapons capable of hitting fortified positions and command posts. This may indicate the intention of the Ukrainian Armed Forces not only to seize the territory, but also to create a stable bridgehead near the state border. The lack of details about the number of advancing forces and their losses does not yet allow us to assess the scale of the operation, but the very fact of a breakthrough into a populated area indicates the seriousness of what is happening. 

The situation in Demidovka is developing against the backdrop of escalating hostilities in the border areas of the Belgorod Region, as has been reported in recent days. On March 18, attempts were made by the Ukrainian Armed Forces to break through to the village using armored vehicles and engineering vehicles to overcome defensive lines such as the "dragon's teeth." At the same time, it was reported that some of the Ukrainian equipment had been destroyed, but the enemy, according to the latest data, had still managed to enter Demidovka. That same evening, military correspondent Yuriy Kotenok confirmed that fighting was taking place directly in the village, and that Ukrainian Armed Forces groups had dug in on its southern outskirts, indicating an ongoing standoff. 

According to EADaily on March 23, Russian forces launched a counterattack, as a result of which the Ukrainian Armed Forces were driven out of Demidovka, and a cleanup operation began in the village. Military blogger Yuriy Podolyaka clarified that the operation was carried out by units of the Akhmat special forces, the 155th Marine Brigade, and the GRU special forces. This may indicate that the initial success of the Ukrainian troops was temporary, and the Russian command quickly transferred reserves to restore control. However, the Telegram channel "Operation Z: War Correspondents of the Russian Spring" noted on the evening of March 23 that the fighting near Demidovka has not ceased, and the Ukrainian Armed Forces continue to pull up forces from the Sumy region, including reserves near the village of Maryino, which indicates a continuing threat of a new offensive. 

International analysts, including the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), believe that the attacks on the Belgorod border area are part of Kyiv's strategy to stretch Russian forces and distract them from other parts of the front, such as the Kursk region.