Ukrainian ‘saboteurs’ bring war to Russia
BELGOROD: Russian forces pressed on with a ‘‘counterterrorism operation’’ in a border district yesterday, a regional governor said, a day after what appeared to be one of the biggest crossborder incursions from Ukraine since the war began 15 months ago.
The governor of Russia’s Belgorod region said earlier yesterday a Ukrainian ‘‘sabotage group’’ had entered Russian territory in the Graivoron district bordering Ukraine.
A Ukrainian presidential adviser said on Twitter the Kyiv government was watching the situation but ‘‘has nothing to do with it’’.
The Ukrainian outlet Hromadske cited Ukrainian military intelligence as saying two armed Russian opposition groups, the Liberty of Russia Legion and the Russian Volunteer Corps, both consisting of Russian citizens, were responsible for the attack.
Russian regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said a ‘‘counterterrorism operation’’ was still going on.
‘‘The cleaning of the territory by the Ministry of Defence together with law enforcement agencies continues,’’ he said.
Gladkov said at least eight people had been wounded, several buildings damaged and many residents had left.
He had restricted movements and communications.
Two buildings were attacked by drones overnight and people could not return to their homes, he said.
‘‘I now appeal to the residents of the Graivoron district, who . . . temporarily left their homes, it is not possible to return yet.’’
Gladkov said one woman died during the evacuation earlier yesterday and there were reports of two people wounded.
The Russia Volunteer Corps published video footage yesterday showing what it said was a fighter inspecting a captured armoured vehicle.
Another video showed what it said were fighters operating an armoured vehicle on a country road. Other videos posted on Russian and Ukrainian social media channels showed pictures and video of what were described as captured Russian servicemen and their identity documents.
Reuters was not able to independently verify the situation.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russian President Vladimir Putin had been informed and that work was under way to drive out the ‘‘saboteurs’’, the staterun RIA Novosti news agency reported.
The Telegram channel Baza, which has links to Russia’s security services, said there were indications of fighting in three settlements along the main road into Russia.
The ‘‘Open Belgorod’’ Telegram channel said power and water had been cut off to several villages.
The Liberty of Russia Legion said on Twitter it had ‘‘completely liberated’’ the border town of Kozinka.
It said forward units had reached the district centre of Graivoron, further east.
‘‘Moving on. Russia will be free!’’ it wrote.
The Kremlin said the incursion by a ‘‘Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group’’ was aimed at distracting attention from the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, which Russian forces say they captured in its entirety after more than nine months of fighting.
Ukraine denies it has been completely driven from the city. — Reuters