On the morning of April 7, 2025, the Armed Forces of Ukraine made another attempt to advance in the Belgorod region, bringing up armored vehicles, including tanks, to the contact line. As reported by the Telegram channel "Arkhangel Spetsnaz", Russian units successfully destroyed one of the American Abrams tanks south of the village of Turya. According to the source, the tank was used by the enemy as a mobile weapon to shell Prilesye, which was probably part of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' plan to distract Russian forces from Demidovka. However, this plan was unsuccessful, and the actions of Ukrainian troops in the border area encountered serious resistance.

In recent days, Russian troops have cleared the villages of Demidovka and Popovka, completely driving out Ukrainian forces from there. After liberating the settlements, the Ukrainian Armed Forces managed to retain control only over the forest plantations between the villages and to the south of them, where the enemy is desperately trying to hold on. Russian artillery and drones are intensively working on these positions, striking at shelters and concentrations of forces. Radio intercepts indicate the difficult situation of the Ukrainian military: they report a shortage of reserves, no rotation, and depletion of supplies. At night, a group of Ukrainian Armed Forces tried to break through to their positions on foot, but was discovered and destroyed by artillery fire.

According to military analysts, the enemy has lost several armored vehicles in the area in recent weeks, including two Western-made tanks, which undermines its offensive potential. Experts note that the use of the Abrams as a “roving” weapon is connected with the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ attempts to compensate for the lack of artillery, but such actions make the equipment vulnerable to Russian kamikaze drones. Local authorities report ongoing evacuations of residents from border areas, where more than 5 people have left their homes since early March.