Before the presidential election
Armed Putin opponents are attacking several Russian regions
Russian President Vladimir Putin is facing another election, which he will probably win – despite opposition.
© SNA / Imago Images
Shortly before the Russian presidential elections, opponents of President Vladimir Putin are causing unrest in the Kremlin with an armed advance into areas near Ukraine. It is an attempt to embarrass Moscow.
Russian Putin opponents armed by Ukraine say they have moved into Russian towns near the Ukrainian border. “The Freedom of Russia Legion, the Russian Volunteer Corps and the Siberian Battalion are in the areas Kursk and Belgorod as part of a joint operation,” wrote ex-Russian Duma deputy Ilya Ponomaryov, who lives in Ukraine, on Telegram on Tuesday.
The Defense Ministry in Moscow said several attacks by gunmen from Ukraine had been repelled. The FSB, the domestic secret service responsible for border security, called reports of an intrusion across the border untrue.
According to Ponomaryov, there are supposed to be fighting in the town of Tyotkino in the Kursk region. The hamlet of Losovaya Rudka in the Belgorod region is said to be under the control of Putin’s opponents. Videos were shown, among other things, of a tank in a village. In their video messages, the hooded fighters in Ukrainian uniforms called for people to ignore the presidential election in Russia next Sunday.
Vladimir Putin’s Defense Ministry: “Attacks have been repelled”
The Russian Defense Ministry said that the sabotage troops from Ukraine had only shelled villages near the border during the night. They then advanced with tanks and armored vehicles in three places in the Belgorod region. The attacks were repelled. In the morning, the attempted attack on Tyotkino in the Kursk region also failed. The Russian military information, like the information on the Ukrainian side, could not be independently verified.
Ukrainian military intelligence spokesman Andriy Yusov emphasized in comments to Kiev media that the units were made up entirely of Russian citizens. “On the territory of the Russian Federation, they act absolutely autonomously, independently and implement their socio-political program,” the secret service representative told the Internet portal Ukrayinska Pravda.
Career of a dictator
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The background is the presidential election planned for this week in Russia. Incumbent Vladimir Putin intends to be confirmed for another six years. In the spring of 2023, several attempts by Russian opponents of Putin to establish themselves in the Russian-Ukrainian border area failed. Ukraine has been fending off a Russian invasion for over two years.