Armed clashes reported around Russia’s Kursk and Belgorod regions as pro-Ukraine forces attempt to cross border
Armed clashes between Russian soldiers and formations supporting Ukraine broke out near Russia’s Belgorod and Kursk regions on Tuesday morning, according to pro-Kremlin “war correspondents” on Telegram.
The WarGonzo channel, run by blogger Semyon Pegov, reported that “armed groups in pickups” with support from mortars and artillery tried to cross from the village of Odnorobivka in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region into the Belgorod region.
After facing return fire from Russian forces, Pegov wrote, the attackers returned to their original positions, where they were “hit with long-range systems.” He speculated that the pro-Ukraine units were likely from the Russian Volunteer Corps or the Siberian Battalion, two groups of Russian soldiers that fight for Ukraine but whose past operations on Russian territory have been disavowed by Kyiv.
Andrey Rudenko, a correspondent for the Russian state-owned broadcaster VGTRK, also reported on the attempted incursion, calling it a “probing operation.” According to Rudenko, Russian forces destroyed three of the pro-Ukraine fighters’ armored vehicles. At about 8:00 a.m. local time, Rudenko wrote that “the battle is still ongoing.”
Rudenko also reported that the pro-Ukraine forces attempted to cross into the village of Tetkino in the Kursk region. He wrote that “part of the enemy forces were destroyed and the rest withdrew.”
According to WarGonzo, the first clash near Tetkino began at about 8:00 a.m. The Telegram channel Baza reported that the fighting left two people injured, including a local resident.
The pro-war Telegram channel Starshe Eddy wrote that “the enemy is attempting to use armored maneuver units, infantry, and light equipment to break through in the Grayvoron area” in the Belgorod region. “Very intense fighting is ongoing along several sections of the state border,” the channel reported.
The Freedom of Russia Legion published a video that purportedly shows its fighters crossing the border on tanks. The Siberian Battalion also shared a video of armed men, writing that “heavy fighting is taking place on Russian territory.” Shortly after, the group posted a video calling on Russians not to take part in the country’s upcoming presidential elections.
Meduza is unable to independently verify the location of the footage or when the videos were filmed.
Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov reported at about 10:00 a.m. local time that the region’s Grayvoron District was “under fire from Ukrainian forces.” Citing the Russian Defense Ministry, Gladkov said that Russian air defense systems had shot down eight shells from Vampire multiple rocket launcher systems and one Tochka-U missile. He also said the district was under mortar and artillery fire and that “there is destruction,” adding that 11 homes and five cars had been damaged.
Update: Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said that a Ukrainian drone crashed into the Belgorod city administration building on Tuesday afternoon. The attack reportedly injured two people.
Ilya Ponomarev, a former State Duma deputy who left Russia in 2014 and who purports to represent the Freedom of Russia Legion, reported that forces from the Freedom of Russia Legion, the Russian Volunteer Corps, and the Siberian Battalion had all entered the Kursk and Belgorod regions “as part of a joint operation.”
Andriy Yusov, a spokesman for Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate, commented on the attacks, saying that the pro-Ukraine formations were “acting absolutely autonomously and independently” and “fulfilling their socio-political program objectives.”