Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of the territory, claims that "a spy and sabotage squad" has infiltrated the area. The Russian Volunteer Corps and Legion of Freedom Russia battalions, which are composed of Russian nationals, are in the background.
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| Map of Belgorod, Russia |
Official reports state that two persons were hurt by shelling in Belgorod, a border town between Russia and Ukraine. Mine explosions resulted in the hospitalization of a man and a woman, the region's governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said on his Telegram channel on Monday. In the intensive care unit, the woman is receiving treatment.
Gladkov said, "A spy and sabotage squad entered the Graivoron district." Later, the information was verified by the Kremlin. Dmitri Peskov, a spokesperson for the Kremlin, said that the "sabotage squad" was fought.
Social media has been flooded with claims of shelling along the border since early in the morning. Apparently, shots were also fired at the border crossing. This was first brushed off by Gladkow as a "disinformation campaign" and "scaremongering." In the meanwhile, combat in the area was confirmed by Ukrainian military intelligence. According to military intelligence spokesperson Andriy Yusov on Ukrainian television, the units "Russian Volunteer Corps" and "Legion Freedom of Russia," which are made up only of Russian residents, had "started an operation to liberate the Belgorod region from the so-called Putin regime."
Russia's aggressive conflict with Ukraine started 15 months ago, and it is still ongoing as of this writing. However, in recent months, Russian border areas have also voiced concerns about an uptick in Ukrainian-side shelling.
Military analysts anticipate that the much anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive will soon start. Attacks against infrastructure items have gathered in the lead-up to this in both the bordering regions of Russia and the parts of Ukraine that Russia occupies. The goal of this is to make it harder to resupply the Russian military. Some analysts are even talking about a push into Russian territory in order to tie up forces there because the course of the Ukrainian counteroffensive is still undetermined.