Anti-Kremlin militia claims to have overrun Russian border settlement in Belgorod
Andrew Roth
Andrew Roth, the Guardian’s Moscow correspondent, has this roundup of what we know so far about the incident on Belgorod:
Fighting has broken out along the Russian border with Ukraine after self-described Russian partisan forces launched a cross-border raid and claimed to have overrun a border settlement for the first time in the war.
The Freedom of
Russia Legion, which describes itself as an anti-Kremlin militia seeking to overthrow the Kremlin and liberate Russia from Vladimir Putin, claimed to have crossed the border and overrun the settlement of Kozinka, while sending units into the town of Grayvoron in Russia’s Belgorod region.
Any capture of territory has not been independently confirmed by journalists on the ground. The militia has mostly existed on social media and it is not known to have participated in any major battles during the war.
But both Russia and Ukrainian officials have confirmed fighting at the border and social media video has shown armoured vehicles appearing to overrun a Russian border post near Grayvoron.
“We are the same Russians as you,” said a statement put out by the group on social media. “We are distinguished only by the fact that we no longer wanted to justify the actions of criminals in power and took up arms to defend our and your freedom. But today it’s time for everyone to take responsibility for their future. It’s time to put an end to the Kremlin’s dictatorship.”
Other video posted to social media showed a Russian Mi-8 helicopter trailing flares over the town of Kozinka and videos of smoke rising from the settlement with the sounds of emergency sirens clearly audible.
The governor of the Belgorod region confirmed an attack on Monday, writing that “sabotage and reconnaissance group of the armed forces of Ukraine have entered the territory of the Grayvoron district. The armed forces of the Russian Federation, together with the border service, Rosgvardiya and the FSB, are taking the necessary measures to eliminate the enemy.”
Ukraine has disavowed connection to the Russian partisan fighters, saying that they act independently and are not subject to military control.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/l...08820288726a94#block-646b72518f08820288726a94