The war in Ukraine has proven time and time again that it is also a communication war in addition to fighting on the ground. Russia has understood this well. This Thursday, Moscow denounced a “terrorist” attack by Ukrainian “saboteurs” on its territory, near the Ukrainian border. For its part, kyiv denied the information accusing its attacker of wanting to legitimize its military offensive. The Kremlin has indeed announced that it is “taking measures” to prevent Ukrainian incursions. Real “terrorists” or Russian propaganda strategy? 20 minutes make the point.
What happened, according to Moscow?
According to the regional governor, Alexander Bogomaz, “a reconnaissance and sabotage group infiltrated from Ukraine into the village of Lyoubetchané”, in the Klimovsk district of the Bryansk region. “The saboteurs opened fire on a moving vehicle”, killing two residents and injuring a child, he said.
In the evening, the security services (FSB, heir to the KGB) affirmed that the situation was “under control”, “the Ukrainian nationalists” having been pushed back towards Ukraine and targeted there by “a massive strike of artillery”. According to the FSB, a “large number of explosives” were discovered and clearance operations were underway.
In two videos published on social networks, four men in fatigues posing as members of a group of “Russian volunteers” within the Ukrainian army, however, claimed infiltration in the same region. Contradicting the Russian version. According to the Belingcat reporter, Michael Colborneit is the RDK group, which “consists largely of Russian far-right activists who are ostensibly anti-Putin in Ukraine” and over which kyiv has no control.
Did this attack cause any casualties?
According to the Russian authorities, two civilians were killed and an 11-year-old child injured. Russian news agencies, citing unnamed witnesses and officials, further reported that the alleged attackers may have taken hostages.
However, in the previously mentioned viral videos of “Russian volunteers”, the authenticity of which AFP could not verify, the men deny having taken hostages or killed civilians, and criticize Moscow.
What was Moscow’s reaction?
It was Vladimir Putin himself who denounced this attack, which was described as “terrorist”. Giving it great importance. In a speech broadcast on television, the head of the Kremlin denounced an attack by “neo-Nazis” and “terrorists” who “opened fire on civilians”. “We will crush them,” he said.
Following this speech, Vladimir Putin canceled a trip planned for Thursday in the Russian Caucasus to follow the evolution of the situation in the Briansk region. “We are talking about a terrorist attack. Steps are being taken to destroy terrorists,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
How did kyiv respond?
In the process, the Ukrainian presidency denied these allegations, seeing in them a “deliberate provocation” which aims, according to it, to justify the military offensive that Moscow has been leading in Ukraine for more than a year. This “saboteur story” is a deliberate, classic provocation. Russia wants to scare its population to justify “its offensive, reacted on Twitter Mykhailo Podoliak, adviser to the Ukrainian presidency. “The partisan movement in Russia is getting stronger and more aggressive. Fear your supporters…”, he added, pointing the finger at opponents in the Kremlin.
Since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine, several Russian regions have been targeted by bombardments. But the incursions of “saboteurs” are rare. Moreover, the military historian and observer of the conflict Cedric Mas calls to “remain very cautious about the information coming out in the next few hours” on the conflict and in particular to “stop taking at face value the announcements of unverifiable Russian propagandists. »
What are the possible consequences of these accusations?
According to the political scientist of the R.Politik observatory, Tatiana Stanovaya, interviewed by Release, these accusations of Moscow against kyiv shows “something serious is brewing”. Ukraine has feared for several weeks a major offensive by Russian troops on the ground. These Russian accusations against Ukraine could thus serve as a pretext for an offensive, or even bombardments. Like when Russia responded to the destruction of the Crimean bridge by massively bombing all of Ukrainian territory, and in particular energy infrastructure in October.
As reported Release, the Chechen president has, in this sense, called for “reprisals” against Ukraine. In a message posted on social networks, Ramzan Kadyrov wants to bomb “all points that are directly or indirectly related to this attack. And the Kremlin has indeed announced that the authorities will “take measures to prevent such events in the future”.