Russian “anti-Kremlin militia” captures a village in Russia – what we know about the attack “The Wagner mercenaries are like rats in a mousetrap according to Bachmut”

What happened?

New in the Ukraine War: Ground forces have attacked and possibly captured one or more villages on Russian territory. The exact situation on the ground is unclear, but independent reports are lacking.

A video on social media would show, among other things, how the attackers would have captured a Russian tank:

The Russian border region of Belgorod has repeatedly been the target of attacks by the Ukrainian armed forces (which, however, rarely clearly claimed responsibility). Russian fuel and logistics depots have often been attacked and the shooting down of Russian jets has recently made headlines. But it would be new for soldiers fighting for the Ukrainian cause to attack on Russian soil.

How did Russia react?

Belgorod governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said eight people were injured after the city came under Ukrainian artillery fire. Russian news agencies also reported deaths. However, Gladkow has not confirmed this, the Guardian writes.

Most residents have left the area, but the situation remains “tense,” Gladkow said. In response to the attacks, the Russian governor has declared a state of emergency, allowing authorities to take further measures. The mobile network and internet can be monitored or a curfew can be imposed.

Who is behind the attack?

Officially, the main attackers are a volunteer legion of Russian citizens who oppose the government in Moscow – partisans of sorts. The “Legion for the Freedom of Russia” stated via Telegram that they crossed the border into Russia, took the settlement of Konzinka and sent more units to the larger town of Grayvoron. As proof, the militia published several recordings on social media.

The Legion addressed the Russian population on Telegram:

However, they are tired of the actions of the “criminals” in the Kremlin and want to defend freedom in Russia. It was time to “put an end” to the Kremlin dictatorship.

In the aftermath of the events, another anti-Russian entity, the Russian Volunteer Corps, also said it was involved in the attacks. In the volunteer corps, defected soldiers from the Russian army and other volunteers fight on the side of Ukraine against the Russian invaders.

So says Kyiv

The government of Ukraine denied any connection to the Russian partisan fighters. These acted independently and were not subject to any military control.

However, Ukrainian military intelligence spokesman Andriy Yusov confirmed that the two militias claiming responsibility for the attack were indeed active in the Belgorod region. The militias are probably engaged in liberating areas from Putin’s regime, pushing back the enemy and creating a security zone for the Ukrainian civilian population.

Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podoliak wrote on Twitter that Kiev was “observing events in the Belgorod region” but had nothing to do with the attacks. He further stated that it is not surprising when authoritarian regimes give rise to guerrilla movements. That is the “only driving political force in a totalitarian country”.

So says Moscow

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Vladimir Putin was aware of the events and work was underway to drive out the attackers, as reported by state news agency RIA Novosti.