Press
Russian regions on the Ukrainian border have reported attacks by anti-Kremlin groups. They demand a prisoner exchange.
Belgorod – A coalition of anti-Kremlin groups is demanding a meeting with the governor of Russia’s Belgorod region to discuss an exchange with Ukrainian army prisoners. The allies include paramilitary groups, the Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK), the “Legion Freedom of Russia” and the Siberian Battalion, like the news portal Newsweek reported. Although the groups fight on the side of the Ukrainians, they consist of Russian nationalists.
The Partisans had announced a massive attack on Putin’s troops and entered the Russian regions of Belgorod and Kursk near the border from Ukraine on Tuesday. Last year, Russian rebels allied with Ukraine carried out similar operations, which led to the evacuation of residents of areas near the border and a battle with Russian forces that ended with the groups withdrawing into Ukraine.
After Tuesday’s invasion, Andriy Yusov, spokesman for Ukraine’s military intelligence agency GUR, said Russian volunteer groups received no orders from Kiev and acted “absolutely autonomously” on Russian territory, reports Newsweek.
Anti-Kremlin groups attack Russian border areas – and demand prisoner exchange
One posted on Tuesday by the pro-Ukrainian account “WarTranslated.” X, formerly Twitter, purports to show the Free Russia Legion liberating the village of Tyotkino in Kursk Oblast. As the Legion’s press service reports, the Russian occupiers were seen fleeing and abandoning their vehicles and positions.
Independent Russian media, meanwhile, referred to communications from the RDK and the “Russian Freedom Legion,” which announced attacks on the Belgorod, Kursk and Bryansk regions on social media on Thursday morning. “The liberation of Russian regions from Putin’s terror regime is underway at this moment. “Putin’s troops in the Belgorod and Kursk oblasts are under full attack,” quotes the German press agency (dpa) the Statements from the militias on Thursday morning. “We call on the representatives of these oblasts to immediately order the evacuation of civilians.”
The anti-Kremlin militias reported their first successes as early as Thursday afternoon: “While Putin’s soldiers are busy destroying the houses of the civilian population, the Legion’s artillerymen masterfully destroyed two ammunition depots belonging to Putin’s troops in Tyotkino. They burn beautifully,” said the Legion of Freedom of Russia and published a video to support the information. The Ukrainian Intelligence Service Ukrainska Pravda published a corresponding message on his account on platform X Videowhich is intended to show the rebels’ successful attack.
Russia claims to have repelled the attack on Belgorod and killed “up to 195” enemy soldiers
There were also reports from the Russian side of renewed fighting in the border area with Ukraine. The Defense Ministry in Moscow said Ukrainian soldiers attempted to enter the Russian Belgorod region. However, the attack was repelled and “up to 195 soldiers” were killed. Five tanks and four armored vehicles were also reportedly destroyed in the fighting, it said.
However, this could not be independently verified. Russian military bloggers also reported on military clashes – not only in Belgorod, but also in the neighboring Kursk region. In a temporary and now unavailable video from the pro-Ukrainian X account WarTranslated, an unnamed member of the RDK volunteer corps said the Russian Ministry of Defense (MOD) lied when it claimed it had the corps after Tuesday’s operation eliminated. It also accused the Russian Defense Ministry of “failing to properly inform the masses.”
The clip also shows a purported interview with a Russian soldier who said he was captured during a demining operation on Friday and was the only member of his group to survive after his vehicle came under fire. The video then shows blurry images of soldiers whom the group claims to have captured. The rebels then demand a meeting with the governor of Belgorod, Vyacheslav Gladkov, to discuss the fate of the prisoners.
Russian border town Belgorod reports shelling – schools and shopping centers remain closed
The Russian region of Belgorod also reported shelling on the border with Ukraine on the second day of the much-criticized Russian presidential election on Saturday. Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov explained n-tv According to reports, two people were killed and three others injured in a Ukrainian rocket attack on the Russian border town. The Russian Defense Ministry also spoke of rocket attacks and said that all eight projectiles had been repelled.
As a result, the city of Belgorod decided to close shopping centers and schools due to the attacks. The schools in the border town and in eight districts of the region should therefore remain closed on Monday and Tuesday. This is not the first time that schools in Belgorod have had to remain closed as a result of attacks.
Then on Saturday, pro-Ukrainian Russian partisans announced a “massive attack” on Russian military facilities, according to the Ukrainian news portal Nexta reported on X. “Today at 5 p.m. a massive attack will be launched on military facilities and positions of the Russian army in Belgorod,” the “Freedom for Russia” Legion announced. Anyone who has not yet left the region should “immediately get to safety.” (fh)