Former top Ukrainian commander Zaluzhnyi proposed a cross-border offensive into Russia's Belgorod region in 2022, former adviser says

Former Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi proposed a plan in 2022 for an offensive on Russia’s Belgorod, Major General Viktor Nazarov said in an interview with BBC News Ukrainian. Nazarov, who served as Zaluzhnyi’s chief adviser and later as his consultant, described the proposal as part of a broader strategy discussion.

According to Nazarov, during a December 2022 meeting at Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, Zaluzhnyi presented a report outlining several strategic proposals for the war with Russia. One of them involved “shifting military operations onto enemy territory.”

“At the time, the option we discussed focused on [Russia’s] Belgorod region. These were proposed avenues of action to pose a serious threat to the enemy. I personally suggested setting even more decisive objectives,” Nazarov said.

When asked whether the plan involved taking control of Belgorod itself, Nazarov clarified that it was aimed at encircling or blockading the city, limiting Russia’s ability to strike Kharkiv and disrupting supply lines for Russian forces in the Donbas region.

He said the proposals were put forward and required only a political decision to move forward with further planning. However, after Zaluzhnyi’s dismissal, Nazarov got the impression that the ideas did not gain traction.

President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed Zaluzhnyi as commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces on February 8, 2024, appointing General Oleksandr Syrskyi as his replacement.

On August 6, 2024, Ukrainian forces launched a cross-border offensive into Russia’s Kursk region, reaching the city of Sudzha. Zelensky has called Ukraine’s positions in the Kursk region a “strong trump card” in any potential peace negotiations with Russia.