Pro-Ukraine Russian soldiers storm border region, claim ‘liberation’ of villages – POLITICO

KYIV — Two Russian navy teams reportedly combating on Kyiv’s aspect of the conflict in Ukraine — Legion of Free Russia and Russian Volunteer Corps — mentioned they entered Russia’s Belgorod area on Monday and overran villages.

“The Legion and the RVC utterly liberated Kozinka village, Belgorod Oblast. Ahead models have entered Graivoron. Transferring on. Russia can be free!” the Legion tweeted.

The Russian teams claimed the liberation of at the very least two villages — Kozinka, and Gora-Podol — within the area bordering Ukraine.

Native Russian Telegram channels and media reported heavy combating in a number of villages subsequent to the border, together with Graivoron, a city the place a Russian navy base is positioned.

“Ukrainian Armed Forces saboteurs group entered the territory of the Graivoronsk district. The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation along with the Border Service, the Russian Guard, and the FSB [intelligence service] are taking the mandatory measures to remove the enemy,” Belgorod Governor Viacheslav Gladkov mentioned in an announcement.

He later added on his Telegram channel {that a} “counter-terrorist operation” had been launched by the Russian authorities, together with ID checks and “the suspension of the actions of industries that use ‘explosive, radioactive, chemically and biologically hazardous substances.’”

The Ukrainian Navy Intelligence Division claimed that each navy teams consist solely of Russian residents and goal to create a demilitarized zone on the border with Ukraine.

“Sure, in the present day the Russian Volunteer Corps and the Legion of Freedom of Russia, consisting of residents of the Russian Federation, launched an operation to liberate these territories of the Belgorod area from the so-called Putin regime and push again the enemy with a purpose to create a sure safety zone to guard the Ukrainian civilian inhabitants,” Andriy Yusov, Ukraine’s navy intelligence consultant, instructed Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne.

Legion of Free Russia on Monday morning revealed a video assertion on its Telegram channel, claiming the troopers storming Belgorod are Russians who wish to liberate Russia from Putin. “Keep at residence, don’t resist, and don’t be afraid: We aren’t your enemies. Not like Putin’s zombies, we don’t contact civilians and don’t use them for our functions. Freedom is close to.”