The Freedom of Russia Legion, a Ukrainian-based paramilitary group of Russians who oppose president Vladimir Putin, claimed responsibility on Sunday for a cross-border attack into the Belgorod region.
The group said it had destroyed a platoon stronghold of Russian troops near Terebreno village, without specifying whether it had destroyed infrastructure or killed soldiers, and said it had left mines behind.
"Russia is unable to control security within its borders. Putin’s security forces cannot ensure the safety of their citizens," a Ukrainian intelligence source was quoted as saying by the Kyiv Post.
"From Kyiv in three days to street battles in the Belgorod region. Instead of securing the border, the military is being sent en masse to their deaths near Avdiivka.”
On Sunday, Belgorod’s governor Vyacheslav Gladkov also reported incursion incidents on his Telegram channel, but he only confirmed damage to power lines in nearby villages.
He said a “shooting battle” was underway on the outskirts of a village, adding that no civilians were reported injured.
That clash began around 11am on Saturday, affecting nearly 200 residents of Terebreno village. With no evacuations ordered, residents were taking cover in shelters, reported the Kyiv Post.
The Freedom of Russia Legion, formed in spring 2022, consists of Russian military volunteers and operates under the command of the Ukrainian armed forces. It was formed “out of the wish of Russians to fight in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine against Putin’s armed gang”, says the legion.
It earlier claimed responsibility for cross-border operations in May and June this year. Russia has designated the legion as a terrorist group – though it also uses such language to refer to a wide range of Ukrainian military operations.
At the time of the earlier attacks, a Ukrainian military spokerson said the attacks in Belgorod only involved Russian citizens and that they were creating a "security zone" to protect Ukrainian civilians. He neither confirmed nor denied that these forces were part of a Ukrainian unit.
Additional reporting by agencies
