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2023 Belgorod Oblast incursions

April 14, 2024

2023 Belgorod Oblast incursions
Part of the 2022–present western Russia attacks during the Russian invasion of Ukraine

Reported extent of territorial control during the raids
DateFirst raid: 22–23 May 2023
(1 day)
Second raid: 1–15 June 2023
(2 weeks)
Sporadic incursions: 17 June–ongoing (9 months and 4 weeks)
Location
Grayvoronsky and Shebekinsky districts, Belgorod Oblast, Russia
50°29′N 35°40′E / 50.483°N 35.667°E / 50.483; 35.667
Result

First raid: Inconclusive

  • Pro-Ukrainian forces withdraw from Russian territory

Second raid: Inconclusive

  • Pro-government sources claim anti-government forces removed from oblast on June 15, anti-government forces continue to shell the oblast
Belligerents
Russian opposition
Various Belarusian, Polish, and Chechen militant groups
 Ukraine (alleged by Russia, denied by Ukraine)[a]		  Russia
Commanders and leaders
Maximilian Andronnikov
Denis Kapustin
Daniil "Puck" Maznik †[1]		 Aleksandr Lapin[2]
Andrey Stesev †[3]
Units involved

Freedom of Russia Legion
Russian Volunteer Corps
Polish Volunteer Corps[4][5]
After June 2023:
Belarusian Volunteer Corps[6]

Separate Special Purpose Battalion[7][8]

Russian Armed Forces
Federal Security Service

Police of Russia

National Guard
Strength
~80–500 fighters[9]
1+ tank(s)[10][11]
3+ armoured vehicles[12][13]		 Multiple helicopters[14]
Casualties and losses
Per Russia:
100+ killed
1 unmanned aerial vehicle shot down[15]
4 armoured fighting vehicles destroyed
5 pickup trucks destroyed
Per FRL/RVC:
2 killed, 10 wounded
1 killed, 2 wounded		 Per Russia:
14+ servicemen killed[16]
Per RVC:
several personnel captured in May[17]
1 border guard killed[18]
1 armoured personnel vehicle captured
12+ personnel captured in June
Per Russia: 13 civilians killed
50 civilians wounded
Thousands of civilians evacuated

On 22 May 2023, armed groups from Ukraine carried out a cross-border raid[19][20] into Belgorod Oblast, Russia.[21][22][23] Two Russian rebel groups allied with and based in Ukraine—the Freedom of Russia Legion (FRL) and the Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC)—claimed to have taken control of several border settlements, and clashed with Russian government forces.[24][25] The Polish Volunteer Corps participated in the raid.[4][5] Russian authorities said the attacks were conducted by a Ukrainian "sabotage group",[21] and imposed counter-terrorism measures in the region.[26] It is the largest cross-border attack during the war since the initial beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022.[11][27]

On 1 June, another incursion began near the town of Shebekino, with the RVC announcing that the promised "second phase" of the fighting had begun.[28] This time, the Belarusian volunteer Terror Battalion participated in the raid.[6] A spokesman for the Freedom of Russia Legion said their goals were to draw Russian troops away from other parts of the front, and to encourage rebellion against the Russian government. On 12 March 2024, Russian rebels launched another major cross-border operation in Belgorod and Kursk Oblasts.[29]

Background

Main article: 2022–2023 western Russia attacks

Several attacks in Western Russia, primarily in Bryansk, Kursk, and Belgorod oblasts, were reported since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which began on 24 February 2022. Russia accused Ukraine of being responsible for these attacks. According to The Moscow Times, in June 2022, "Ukraine [had] not claimed responsibility for the attacks ... while not formally denying being behind them."[30]

Following an attack against Belgorod in April 2022, Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council, joked that these events were related to the establishment of a "Belgorod People's Republic".[31][32] The information warfare spawned satirical calls to "hold independence referendum in Belgorod region".[33] Calls and text messages from unknown numbers and telegram chats were sent to residents of the region: "They call us BNR, that is, the Belgorod People's Republic, in their Ukrainian chats. By analogy with the LNR and DNR", a local resident said in July 2022.[34]

In March 2023, the Russian Volunteer Corps, a Russian nationalist group fighting against the Russian government, claimed responsibility for a brief incursion into neighboring Bryansk Oblast.[35]

Late on 21 May 2023, Belgorod Oblast officials claimed that a quadcopter had dropped explosives on a government building in the village of Golovchino.[36]

First raid

22 May

 
2019 aerial view of the border village of Kozinka

On 22 May 2023, footage emerged on Russian Telegram channels showing an apparent military raid on the Russian border checkpoint in the Grayvoronsky District of Belgorod Oblast.[37] Later that day, Belgorod Oblast governor Vyacheslav Gladkov announced via Telegram that a "Ukrainian military sabotage and reconnaissance group" had entered the district, saying that Russian forces were "taking the necessary steps to eliminate the enemy".[37][11] He said there were explosions and drone attacks in the district.[22] The deputy head of Grayvoron's municipal administration and two emergency workers were reportedly wounded in an attack that damaged the town hall.[38]

The Freedom of Russia Legion and the Russian Volunteer Corps claimed responsibility for the incursion, announcing that the two groups working together had taken control of the villages of Kozinka,[37][24][25] Gora-Podol,[39] and Glotovo [ru][10] and that forward units had reached the district capital of Grayvoron.[37][25] They claimed to be creating a "demilitarized zone".[23] The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) assessed that Kozinka had indeed been captured by the paramilitaries, but that it was unclear if the other settlements were as well.[18] In this incursion participated the Polish Volunteer Corps, a Polish volunteer military unit created in mid-February of the same year. They would only confirm this on 4 June after posting images on Twitter proving their involvement; up until that point, there had been reports from Russian soldiers that some of the saboteurs spoke Polish.[4][5]

While the incursion was taking place, the Freedom of Russia Legion posted videos showing the white-blue-white Russian opposition flag being lifted with balloons over the center of Moscow. The Legion uses this flag.[40] The Russian Volunteer Corps posted photos of their fighters in front of road signs for the settlement of Bezlyudovka in Belgorod Oblast, as well as Lyubimovka [ru] and Churovichi [ru; uk] in neighboring Bryansk Oblast.[39]

On the evening of 22 May,[41] Gladkov announced that counter-terrorism restrictions [ru] were being introduced in Belgorod Oblast. This restricts civilian freedom of movement and communications, requires civilians to show proof of identity, and suspends industries that use hazardous materials, among other restrictions.[26][42] Gladkov also said that the Belgorod regional government officials, together with the Ministry of Emergency Situations, was going from house to house in border villages to evacuate civilians, and that "most of the population" had been evacuated.[43]

According to Ukrainian officials, Russian forces began an emergency evacuation of nuclear ammunition stockpiles from the nearby Belgorod-22 facility.[44] The Belgorod-22 site is Military Unit Number 25624[45] of the 12th Chief Directorate.[46]

Nuclear security expert at the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research, Pavel Podvig, was skeptical about the announcement of the movement of nuclear weapons, since such a maneuver could not go unnoticed by Western intelligence agencies. Despite the current status of the military unit to which the repository belongs, it would be impossible to establish the presence of nuclear weapons in it, Podvig said.[47] The Rybar Telegram channel stated that nuclear weapons were not stored at this facility long before the raid.[48]

23 May

According to video reports, the Federal Security Service (FSB) office in the city of Belgorod was struck in a drone attack, nearly 80 km (50 mi) away from the "combat zone".[17] The BBC was able to establish that an FSB building was hit, but it was unclear what caused the damage. Gladkov stated that one civilian had been killed in the fighting and that a drone had been shot down.[49]

In a statement, the Russian Ministry of Defense claimed to have defeated the insurgents and pushed them back to the Ukrainian border.[49][50][51] The counter-terrorism restrictions in Belgorod Oblast were lifted that afternoon,[51][52] though Gladkov called on civilians not to return to border villages yet.[52] The ISW assessed that Russian government forces had likely pushed the anti-government forces back to at least Kozinka, if not over the state border.[52] The Freedom of Russia Legion posted footage showing ongoing fighting.[53][51]

Throughout the day appeared reports of fighting taking place in or near several other localities in Belgorod Oblast, more precisely Bogun-Gorodok [ru; uk], Gorkovsky, the hamlet of Lozovaya Rudka, Shchetinovka and Tsapovka [ru].[54] Later, during the night of the same day, the Ukrainian journalist Andriy Tsaplienko posted a picture on his Telegram channel showing five allegedly Russian opposition soldiers in front of the entrance sign of Gogolevka [ru], a village in Kursk Oblast. It is unknown to which military unit these soldiers belonged and no official information was released about the incident.[55][56]

Aftermath

 
Russian Volunteer Corps members during a press conference on 24 May

On 24 May, governor Gladkov announced that anti-government forces were no longer in the region. He also said that the following districts had been attacked during the incursion: Borisovsky, Volokonovsky, Grayvoronsky, Krasnoyaruzhsky, Shebekinsky, and Yakovlevsky.[57] He later announced that Russian authorities had created seven territorial defense battalions for the defense of the Belgorod region in the future.[58]

The leader of the Russian Volunteer Corps, Denis Kapustin (also Denis Nikitin or "White Rex"), said the group had left Russian territory after 24 hours, and that they were satisfied with the raid at a press conference given on Ukrainian territory.[19]

On 25 May, soldiers of the Russian Volunteer Corps undertook a short raid into Glotovo again.[59]

Second raid

1–3 June

On 1 June, the Freedom of Russia Legion and Russian Volunteer Corps said they had begun another raid into Belgorod Oblast. The Russian Defense Ministry said there were three attempted raids along the border in the Shebekinsky District by up to 70 "Ukrainian terrorists" with tanks and armored vehicles. It said that all were repelled and that at least 50 militants were killed, while four of their armored vehicles and a Grad multiple rocket launcher were destroyed. Belgorod governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said Ukraine's armed forces had shelled Shebekino with Grad rockets, damaging an administrative building. He said at least nine civilians had been wounded by shelling from Ukraine, and two others by a drone blast in Belgorod city.[60][61] The RVC claimed that it attacked the Interior Ministry in Shebekino with Grad rockets.[62]

The Belarusian volunteer Terror Battalion participated in this second raid. This is shown by some images of members of the battalion carrying MANPADS published with the comment "Briefly about the emergency landings of military aircraft on the BPR [Belgorod People's Republic]". A video posted on Telegram showed the advance of Belarusian volunteers towards the territory of Belgorod Oblast. Previously, Radyyon Batulin, one of the commanders of the battalion, commented that "nobody canceled visa-free travel for Belarusians to Russia". The Terror Battalion was initially formed as a battalion part of the Kastuś Kalinoŭski Regiment which ended up leaving the regiment and later joined the Belarusian Volunteer Corps.[6]

According to the Institute for the Study of War, the FRL and RVC reached Shebekino and Novaya Tavolzhanka on 1 June. The ISW described the attacks as raids, defining them as "small scale assault operations involving swift entry into hostile territory to secure information, disrupt hostile forces, or destroy installations". Governor Gladkov said residents were being evacuated from the settlements and that all "Ukrainian" forces had withdrawn from Belgorod Oblast by the end of the day.[63][64]

On 3 June, two civilians driving a car near Maslova Pristan were killed in an artillery strike. Governor Gladkov blamed Ukrainian forces, but the FRL blamed the Russian Army.[65][66]

4 June - 15 June

On 4 June, the FRL posted a video online calling for Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov to meet them "to discuss the current situation in the region and the future of Russia," in exchange for releasing two Russian soldiers they had captured. Gladkov said he would be willing to meet the group in Shebekino.[67] The FRL leadership arrived at the checkpoint outside Shebekino at the agreed time, but Gladkov did not, claiming that the POWs had been executed. In response, the FRL said it would send the POWs to Kyiv.[68][64]

On 5 June, the pro-Ukrainian forces reported that they killed Russian colonel Andrey Stesev in battle on the territory of Belgorod Oblast.[69] They accused Stesev and his subordinates of killing civilians in the Chechen wars, the Yugoslav Wars, the War in Abkhazia, and in Ukraine, and claimed that he had "systematically terrorized" the population of Belgorod Oblast.[69] Ukrainian military intelligence also announced that Stesev had died in the early hours of 5 June, but according to Meduza, there has not been any independent confirmation of the information.[70]

On 6 June, Gladkov claimed that the anti-government forces were no longer in the region,[71] but the RVC said on 8 June that it was still in control of Novaya Tavolzhanka.[72]

By 15 June, Russian government soldiers claimed to have re-entered Novaya Tavolzhanka.[citation needed]

Sporadic incursions (June–December 2023)

On 17 June, there were still reports of anti-government forces operating in the Belgorod oblast, shelling pro-government positions. The number of evacuations of civilians from border regions was estimated at 6,500, with most of the civilians from Shebekino having left.[73]

On 19 June, Russian sources claimed that 7 civilians where wounded due to anti-government shelling in Belgorod.[74] And on 22 June, the Russian ministry of Defense claimed to have used thermobaric weapons against partisans in the Oblast.[75] During the Wagner Group rebellion on 24 June, it was noted by the Atlantic Council that partisans were still operating in Belgorod.[76]

In mid-July, the Ukrainian Main Directorate of Intelligence published a video showing Chechen volunteers ambushing a Russian military truck at Sereda, Belgorod, killing two Russian soldiers.[77] They were members of the Separate Special Purpose Battalion.[7][8] In August, the Russian government sanctioned the creation of self-defense militias in Belgorod and Kursk to assist in the border defense.[78]

On 28 September, the Freedom of Russia Legion claimed that it had begun another raid into Belgorod Oblast. The Russian Astra Telegram channel also stated that Russian troops were battling pro-Ukrainian forces at the border.[79]

On 17 December 2023, pro-Ukrainian partisans launched another raid into Belgorod. According to a Russian official and other Russian as well as Ukrainian sources, the insurgents targeted the Morozovsk airbase with "mass drone strikes", while clashing with security forces at the village of Terebreno.[80][81] The Ukrainian Ministry of Defence subsequently claimed that a Russian "platoon stronghold" at Terebreno had been destroyed by the rebels.[82] The Freedom of Russia Legion claimed responsibility for the raid, and stated that it had withdrawn from Russian territory after mining the eliminated "stronghold" at Terebreno.[81]

Third raid

Main article: 2024 Western Russia incursion

On 12 March 2024, the Freedom of Russia Legion, Russian Volunteer Corps, and Sibir Battalion launched a large cross-border attack in Belgorod and Kursk Oblasts. In Belgorod Oblast, the rebels claimed to have captured the village of Lozovaya Rudka.[29]

Casualties and losses

Pro-Ukrainian forces

 
A damaged Humvee, reportedly abandoned by pro-Ukrainian forces

At a 24 May press conference by the RVC, Kapustin said two RVC fighters were wounded in the 23–24 May incursion.[19] Separately, Caesar, the commander and spokesman of the Freedom of Russia Legion, named in reality Maximilian Andronikov,[83] said two of its fighters had been killed and 10 wounded.[19][84] On 4 June, the Polish Volunteer Corps stated that they suffered no killed or wounded and that the unit successfully completed all its assigned tasks during the first raid.[5]

The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed to have killed more than 70 of the attacking "nationalists" in the 23–24 May incursion. Ministry officials stated that the attackers were Ukrainian.[49][50][51] Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said that four armoured vehicles and five pickup trucks belonging to the attackers were destroyed.[85] The Russian Volunteer Corps said none of its fighters had been killed and that it had not lost equipment, and said that the military camouflage on clothing in a photo distributed by Russian officials did not match those of the RVC.[86]

Russian government sources released footage of what it said were several abandoned Western-made military vehicles that had been used by the pro-Ukrainian sources.[49][87] Experts questioned the authenticity of the claims about the vehicles, and the extent of their truthfulness is uncertain.[87][88][49] According to Radio Liberty, a participant in the raid revealed in an interview that two Humvees did indeed fall into the trenches near the checkpoint, and were abandoned in the location seen in the video.[87]

Russian government forces

 
A Russian BTR-82A armoured personnel carrier after being captured by the Russian Volunteer Corps[89][90]

At the 24 May press conference, Kapustin said his soldiers had seized weapons, an armoured personnel carrier, and taken prisoners before leaving Russian territory.[19] They showed off recently captured equipment, including a Russian BTR-82A armoured personnel carrier.[89] The RVC also posted footage during the raid apparently showing the body of a dead Russian border guard, likely near the Kozinka border checkpoint.[18]

Russian authorities have downplayed the number of casualties they've taken in the incursions, keeping any figures they do have out of public hands. However, Russian soldiers sent to the Oblast report high casualties among the defense forces, mostly due to lack of supplies. The 1009th regiment stated they are struggling and even failing to achieve their goals due to lack of supplies and soldiers from the 138th Brigade stated that they lost nearly 80% of their unit (~1600 soldiers) during the fighting.[91]

Humanitarian impact and evacuations

Russian officials have said at least 13 civilians have died since the beginning of the raids, and that over 50 have been injured.[73] Thousands of residents of border towns have been evacuated.[73]

Shebekino, formerly a town of 40,000 inhabitants, was devastated during the second raid, with almost all the inhabitants fleeing.[92]

Analysis

Motivation

During the first raid, the Freedom of Russia Legion said their main goal was to "liberate" the region and create a "demilitarized zone" in Belgorod Oblast so that Russia could not attack Ukraine from that territory.[23] Andriy Yusov, the spokesman of Ukraine's Military Intelligency Agency (HUR), speaking on 22 May, agreed that the goal of the militants was to "liberate territories" and create a security corridor to protect Ukrainian civilians.[93] Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the raid an attempt by Ukraine "to divert attention" away from the Russian capture of Bakhmut.[25] Retired United States Army official Mark Hertling said that the raid was part of Ukrainian shaping operations to "keep the Russian military on the back foot" as Ukraine prepared for its highly anticipated counteroffensive.[94]

At the beginning of the second raid, a spokesman for the Freedom of Russia Legion said their goals were to draw Russian troops away from other parts of the front, and to encourage rebellion against the Russian government.[95]

Ukrainian involvement

Ukrainian officials denied involvement in the incursion. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the Ukrainian government had "nothing to do with" the incursion, calling it a homegrown Russian "resistance movement".[96] Zelenskyy's senior aide, Mykhailo Podolyak, said that Ukraine was monitoring the situation with interest, but was not involved in the conflict.[97] Andriy Yusov and other Ukrainian officials have denied any direct involvement by the Armed Forces of Ukraine and have said that the striking force was made up only of Russian citizens.[93][98][49][18]

Russian officials claim that the paramilitaries were from "Ukrainian nationalist formations".[51] The Freedom of Russia Legion has been described by the New York Times as "operating under the umbrella" of Ukraine's International Legion.[99] Russian opposition politician Ilya Ponomarev also claimed the unit to be acting as part of the Ukrainian armed forces.[100] Ukrainian officials said the Freedom of Russia Legion operates as part of Ukraine's "defense and security forces" while it is inside Ukraine, but acts independently if it is outside the country.[15]

Speaking to media, Kapustin said that Ukrainian authorities "did encourage" his group, but denied that they provided weapons, equipment, or instructions.[101] He did say that Ukrainian military took in wounded RVC members, but that was the extent of support, saying that "Every decision we make ... beyond the state border is our own decision. Obviously, we can ask our [Ukrainian] comrades, friends for their assistance in planning."[101] He denied reports that his fighters were using weapons provided by Ukraine's Western allies and said Ukraine only provided support with medical supplies, fuel and food.[19]

According to BBC News, it is unlikely that the incursion was made without the help of Ukrainian military intelligence, and may play into Russian narratives that Russia is under attack by Western-backed forces.[49]

Reactions

Ukraine

 
The "Belgorod People's Republic" flag

Some Ukrainian officials compared the attack to Russia's use of "little green men" during the early stages of the Russo-Ukrainian War.[9] Mykhailo Podolyak ironically[17] said that "tanks are sold at any Russian military store", referencing Putin's claim that the little green men weren't Russian troops, but local pro-Russian militias who had purchased their uniforms, firearms, and even armored vehicles from military stores.[41]

Ukrainian social media accounts humorously compared the attackers to the pro-Russian separatists in Donbas.[94] Most notably, Ukrainian sources began circulating a photo showing three soldiers who took part in the raid proclaiming a "Belgorod People's Republic" and holding a flag of the supposed republic.[10][102][103][104] Internet memes about creating such an entity, a satire of the pro-Russian Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics, spread on Ukrainian social media following the raid.[96][105][106][107][83] These included jokes by the Russian insurgents in Russia themselves about holding a referendum in Belgorod Oblast for the formal establishment of the Belgorod People's Republic.[108]

Russia

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russian president Vladimir Putin was informed about the raid.[109] Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Security Council of Russia, blamed the Ukrainian government for the attack and called for the "extermination" of the perpetrators.[110] Russian Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu said that the Russian military would respond more harshly to any further incursions.[111]

According to the Institute for the Study of War, the Russian milblogger community reacted to the May raid "with [...] panic, factionalism, and incoherency", consistent with its previous responses to "significant informational shocks".[18] Wagner Group head Yevgeny Prigozhin accused the Russian Defense Ministry of incompetence in defending Russia and its borders.[18]

Following the second incursion on 1 June, Igor Girkin and other Russian ultra-nationalists heavily criticized the Russian government and its response to the attacks. Girkin called Vladimir Putin "out of touch" and complaining about a "lack of Russian military escalation to secure borders".[112]

On 3 June, Yevgeny Prigozhin stated that after his Wagner units withdrew completely from Bakhmut, he would send the units to guard the border of Belgorod Oblast, regardless of orders from the Russian Ministry of Defense.[113] He called Belgorod governor Gladkov "an uneducated, ill-prepared coward", and said Defense Minister Shoigu's lack of resolve had enabled "genocide" against the Russian people.[92]

On 5 June, Ramzan Kadyrov, head of the Chechen Republic stated he would be willing to send 70,000 Chechen fighters to Belgorod to help protect the border, but had his offer declined by the "Russian commander-in-chief".[114]

Residents of Shebekino, when interviewed by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, "still [appeared] to be firmly in support of the campaign under way in Ukraine", but expressed "dismay and confusion" at the lack of helpful response or sympathy from the Russian government.[73]

United States

United States Department of State spokesperson Matthew Miller said that while the United States "doesn't enable or encourage attacks outside Ukraine’s borders", "it is Russia that launched this war" and thus "it is up to Ukraine to decide how they want to conduct their military operations".[115] He also acknowledged reports "circulating on social media and elsewhere" that U.S.-supplied weapons were used in the attack, but said the U.S. was skeptical of such reports.[49]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ See § Ukrainian involvement for more details.

References

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April 14, 2024
2023, belgorod, oblast, incursions, part, 2022, present, western, russia, attacks, during, russian, invasion, ukrainereported, extent, territorial, control, during, raidsdatefirst, raid, 2023, second, raid, june, 2023, weeks, sporadic, incursions, june, ongoin. 2023 Belgorod Oblast incursionsPart of the 2022 present western Russia attacks during the Russian invasion of UkraineReported extent of territorial control during the raidsDateFirst raid 22 23 May 2023 1 day Second raid 1 15 June 2023 2 weeks Sporadic incursions 17 June ongoing 9 months and 4 weeks LocationGrayvoronsky and Shebekinsky districts Belgorod Oblast Russia50 29 N 35 40 E 50 483 N 35 667 E 50 483 35 667ResultFirst raid Inconclusive Pro Ukrainian forces withdraw from Russian territorySecond raid Inconclusive Pro government sources claim anti government forces removed from oblast on June 15 anti government forces continue to shell the oblastBelligerentsRussian oppositionVarious Belarusian Polish and Chechen militant groups Ukraine alleged by Russia denied by Ukraine a RussiaCommanders and leadersMaximilian Andronnikov Denis Kapustin Daniil Puck Maznik 1 Aleksandr Lapin 2 Andrey Stesev 3 Units involvedFreedom of Russia Legion Russian Volunteer Corps Polish Volunteer Corps 4 5 After June 2023 Belarusian Volunteer Corps 6 Terror Battalion 6 Separate Special Purpose Battalion 7 8 Russian Armed Forces Federal Security Service Border ServicePolice of Russia National GuardStrength 80 500 fighters 9 1 tank s 10 11 3 armoured vehicles 12 13 Multiple helicopters 14 Casualties and lossesPer Russia 100 killed1 unmanned aerial vehicle shot down 15 4 armoured fighting vehicles destroyed5 pickup trucks destroyedPer FRL RVC 2 killed 10 wounded 1 killed 2 woundedPer Russia 14 servicemen killed 16 Per RVC several personnel captured in May 17 1 border guard killed 18 1 armoured personnel vehicle captured 12 personnel captured in JunePer Russia 13 civilians killed50 civilians woundedThousands of civilians evacuated On 22 May 2023 armed groups from Ukraine carried out a cross border raid 19 20 into Belgorod Oblast Russia 21 22 23 Two Russian rebel groups allied with and based in Ukraine the Freedom of Russia Legion FRL and the Russian Volunteer Corps RVC claimed to have taken control of several border settlements and clashed with Russian government forces 24 25 The Polish Volunteer Corps participated in the raid 4 5 Russian authorities said the attacks were conducted by a Ukrainian sabotage group 21 and imposed counter terrorism measures in the region 26 It is the largest cross border attack during the war since the initial beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022 11 27 On 1 June another incursion began near the town of Shebekino with the RVC announcing that the promised second phase of the fighting had begun 28 This time the Belarusian volunteer Terror Battalion participated in the raid 6 A spokesman for the Freedom of Russia Legion said their goals were to draw Russian troops away from other parts of the front and to encourage rebellion against the Russian government On 12 March 2024 Russian rebels launched another major cross border operation in Belgorod and Kursk Oblasts 29 Contents 1 Background 2 First raid 2 1 22 May 2 2 23 May 2 3 Aftermath 3 Second raid 3 1 1 3 June 3 2 4 June 15 June 4 Sporadic incursions June December 2023 5 Third raid 6 Casualties and losses 6 1 Pro Ukrainian forces 6 2 Russian government forces 7 Humanitarian impact and evacuations 8 Analysis 8 1 Motivation 8 2 Ukrainian involvement 9 Reactions 9 1 Ukraine 9 2 Russia 9 3 United States 10 See also 11 Notes 12 ReferencesBackgroundMain article 2022 2023 western Russia attacks Several attacks in Western Russia primarily in Bryansk Kursk and Belgorod oblasts were reported since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine which began on 24 February 2022 Russia accused Ukraine of being responsible for these attacks According to The Moscow Times in June 2022 Ukraine had not claimed responsibility for the attacks while not formally denying being behind them 30 Following an attack against Belgorod in April 2022 Oleksiy Danilov secretary of the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council joked that these events were related to the establishment of a Belgorod People s Republic 31 32 The information warfare spawned satirical calls to hold independence referendum in Belgorod region 33 Calls and text messages from unknown numbers and telegram chats were sent to residents of the region They call us BNR that is the Belgorod People s Republic in their Ukrainian chats By analogy with the LNR and DNR a local resident said in July 2022 34 In March 2023 the Russian Volunteer Corps a Russian nationalist group fighting against the Russian government claimed responsibility for a brief incursion into neighboring Bryansk Oblast 35 Late on 21 May 2023 Belgorod Oblast officials claimed that a quadcopter had dropped explosives on a government building in the village of Golovchino 36 First raid22 May nbsp 2019 aerial view of the border village of KozinkaOn 22 May 2023 footage emerged on Russian Telegram channels showing an apparent military raid on the Russian border checkpoint in the Grayvoronsky District of Belgorod Oblast 37 Later that day Belgorod Oblast governor Vyacheslav Gladkov announced via Telegram that a Ukrainian military sabotage and reconnaissance group had entered the district saying that Russian forces were taking the necessary steps to eliminate the enemy 37 11 He said there were explosions and drone attacks in the district 22 The deputy head of Grayvoron s municipal administration and two emergency workers were reportedly wounded in an attack that damaged the town hall 38 The Freedom of Russia Legion and the Russian Volunteer Corps claimed responsibility for the incursion announcing that the two groups working together had taken control of the villages of Kozinka 37 24 25 Gora Podol 39 and Glotovo ru 10 and that forward units had reached the district capital of Grayvoron 37 25 They claimed to be creating a demilitarized zone 23 The Institute for the Study of War ISW assessed that Kozinka had indeed been captured by the paramilitaries but that it was unclear if the other settlements were as well 18 In this incursion participated the Polish Volunteer Corps a Polish volunteer military unit created in mid February of the same year They would only confirm this on 4 June after posting images on Twitter proving their involvement up until that point there had been reports from Russian soldiers that some of the saboteurs spoke Polish 4 5 While the incursion was taking place the Freedom of Russia Legion posted videos showing the white blue white Russian opposition flag being lifted with balloons over the center of Moscow The Legion uses this flag 40 The Russian Volunteer Corps posted photos of their fighters in front of road signs for the settlement of Bezlyudovka in Belgorod Oblast as well as Lyubimovka ru and Churovichi ru uk in neighboring Bryansk Oblast 39 On the evening of 22 May 41 Gladkov announced that counter terrorism restrictions ru were being introduced in Belgorod Oblast This restricts civilian freedom of movement and communications requires civilians to show proof of identity and suspends industries that use hazardous materials among other restrictions 26 42 Gladkov also said that the Belgorod regional government officials together with the Ministry of Emergency Situations was going from house to house in border villages to evacuate civilians and that most of the population had been evacuated 43 According to Ukrainian officials Russian forces began an emergency evacuation of nuclear ammunition stockpiles from the nearby Belgorod 22 facility 44 The Belgorod 22 site is Military Unit Number 25624 45 of the 12th Chief Directorate 46 Nuclear security expert at the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research Pavel Podvig was skeptical about the announcement of the movement of nuclear weapons since such a maneuver could not go unnoticed by Western intelligence agencies Despite the current status of the military unit to which the repository belongs it would be impossible to establish the presence of nuclear weapons in it Podvig said 47 The Rybar Telegram channel stated that nuclear weapons were not stored at this facility long before the raid 48 23 May According to video reports the Federal Security Service FSB office in the city of Belgorod was struck in a drone attack nearly 80 km 50 mi away from the combat zone 17 The BBC was able to establish that an FSB building was hit but it was unclear what caused the damage Gladkov stated that one civilian had been killed in the fighting and that a drone had been shot down 49 In a statement the Russian Ministry of Defense claimed to have defeated the insurgents and pushed them back to the Ukrainian border 49 50 51 The counter terrorism restrictions in Belgorod Oblast were lifted that afternoon 51 52 though Gladkov called on civilians not to return to border villages yet 52 The ISW assessed that Russian government forces had likely pushed the anti government forces back to at least Kozinka if not over the state border 52 The Freedom of Russia Legion posted footage showing ongoing fighting 53 51 Throughout the day appeared reports of fighting taking place in or near several other localities in Belgorod Oblast more precisely Bogun Gorodok ru uk Gorkovsky the hamlet of Lozovaya Rudka Shchetinovka and Tsapovka ru 54 Later during the night of the same day the Ukrainian journalist Andriy Tsaplienko posted a picture on his Telegram channel showing five allegedly Russian opposition soldiers in front of the entrance sign of Gogolevka ru a village in Kursk Oblast It is unknown to which military unit these soldiers belonged and no official information was released about the incident 55 56 Aftermath nbsp Russian Volunteer Corps members during a press conference on 24 MayOn 24 May governor Gladkov announced that anti government forces were no longer in the region He also said that the following districts had been attacked during the incursion Borisovsky Volokonovsky Grayvoronsky Krasnoyaruzhsky Shebekinsky and Yakovlevsky 57 He later announced that Russian authorities had created seven territorial defense battalions for the defense of the Belgorod region in the future 58 The leader of the Russian Volunteer Corps Denis Kapustin also Denis Nikitin or White Rex said the group had left Russian territory after 24 hours and that they were satisfied with the raid at a press conference given on Ukrainian territory 19 On 25 May soldiers of the Russian Volunteer Corps undertook a short raid into Glotovo again 59 Second raid1 3 June On 1 June the Freedom of Russia Legion and Russian Volunteer Corps said they had begun another raid into Belgorod Oblast The Russian Defense Ministry said there were three attempted raids along the border in the Shebekinsky District by up to 70 Ukrainian terrorists with tanks and armored vehicles It said that all were repelled and that at least 50 militants were killed while four of their armored vehicles and a Grad multiple rocket launcher were destroyed Belgorod governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said Ukraine s armed forces had shelled Shebekino with Grad rockets damaging an administrative building He said at least nine civilians had been wounded by shelling from Ukraine and two others by a drone blast in Belgorod city 60 61 The RVC claimed that it attacked the Interior Ministry in Shebekino with Grad rockets 62 The Belarusian volunteer Terror Battalion participated in this second raid This is shown by some images of members of the battalion carrying MANPADS published with the comment Briefly about the emergency landings of military aircraft on the BPR Belgorod People s Republic A video posted on Telegram showed the advance of Belarusian volunteers towards the territory of Belgorod Oblast Previously Radyyon Batulin one of the commanders of the battalion commented that nobody canceled visa free travel for Belarusians to Russia The Terror Battalion was initially formed as a battalion part of the Kastus Kalinoŭski Regiment which ended up leaving the regiment and later joined the Belarusian Volunteer Corps 6 According to the Institute for the Study of War the FRL and RVC reached Shebekino and Novaya Tavolzhanka on 1 June The ISW described the attacks as raids defining them as small scale assault operations involving swift entry into hostile territory to secure information disrupt hostile forces or destroy installations Governor Gladkov said residents were being evacuated from the settlements and that all Ukrainian forces had withdrawn from Belgorod Oblast by the end of the day 63 64 On 3 June two civilians driving a car near Maslova Pristan were killed in an artillery strike Governor Gladkov blamed Ukrainian forces but the FRL blamed the Russian Army 65 66 4 June 15 June On 4 June the FRL posted a video online calling for Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov to meet them to discuss the current situation in the region and the future of Russia in exchange for releasing two Russian soldiers they had captured Gladkov said he would be willing to meet the group in Shebekino 67 The FRL leadership arrived at the checkpoint outside Shebekino at the agreed time but Gladkov did not claiming that the POWs had been executed In response the FRL said it would send the POWs to Kyiv 68 64 On 5 June the pro Ukrainian forces reported that they killed Russian colonel Andrey Stesev in battle on the territory of Belgorod Oblast 69 They accused Stesev and his subordinates of killing civilians in the Chechen wars the Yugoslav Wars the War in Abkhazia and in Ukraine and claimed that he had systematically terrorized the population of Belgorod Oblast 69 Ukrainian military intelligence also announced that Stesev had died in the early hours of 5 June but according to Meduza there has not been any independent confirmation of the information 70 On 6 June Gladkov claimed that the anti government forces were no longer in the region 71 but the RVC said on 8 June that it was still in control of Novaya Tavolzhanka 72 By 15 June Russian government soldiers claimed to have re entered Novaya Tavolzhanka citation needed Sporadic incursions June December 2023 On 17 June there were still reports of anti government forces operating in the Belgorod oblast shelling pro government positions The number of evacuations of civilians from border regions was estimated at 6 500 with most of the civilians from Shebekino having left 73 On 19 June Russian sources claimed that 7 civilians where wounded due to anti government shelling in Belgorod 74 And on 22 June the Russian ministry of Defense claimed to have used thermobaric weapons against partisans in the Oblast 75 During the Wagner Group rebellion on 24 June it was noted by the Atlantic Council that partisans were still operating in Belgorod 76 In mid July the Ukrainian Main Directorate of Intelligence published a video showing Chechen volunteers ambushing a Russian military truck at Sereda Belgorod killing two Russian soldiers 77 They were members of the Separate Special Purpose Battalion 7 8 In August the Russian government sanctioned the creation of self defense militias in Belgorod and Kursk to assist in the border defense 78 On 28 September the Freedom of Russia Legion claimed that it had begun another raid into Belgorod Oblast The Russian Astra Telegram channel also stated that Russian troops were battling pro Ukrainian forces at the border 79 On 17 December 2023 pro Ukrainian partisans launched another raid into Belgorod According to a Russian official and other Russian as well as Ukrainian sources the insurgents targeted the Morozovsk airbase with mass drone strikes while clashing with security forces at the village of Terebreno 80 81 The Ukrainian Ministry of Defence subsequently claimed that a Russian platoon stronghold at Terebreno had been destroyed by the rebels 82 The Freedom of Russia Legion claimed responsibility for the raid and stated that it had withdrawn from Russian territory after mining the eliminated stronghold at Terebreno 81 Third raidMain article 2024 Western Russia incursion On 12 March 2024 the Freedom of Russia Legion Russian Volunteer Corps and Sibir Battalion launched a large cross border attack in Belgorod and Kursk Oblasts In Belgorod Oblast the rebels claimed to have captured the village of Lozovaya Rudka 29 Casualties and lossesPro Ukrainian forces nbsp A damaged Humvee reportedly abandoned by pro Ukrainian forcesAt a 24 May press conference by the RVC Kapustin said two RVC fighters were wounded in the 23 24 May incursion 19 Separately Caesar the commander and spokesman of the Freedom of Russia Legion named in reality Maximilian Andronikov 83 said two of its fighters had been killed and 10 wounded 19 84 On 4 June the Polish Volunteer Corps stated that they suffered no killed or wounded and that the unit successfully completed all its assigned tasks during the first raid 5 The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed to have killed more than 70 of the attacking nationalists in the 23 24 May incursion Ministry officials stated that the attackers were Ukrainian 49 50 51 Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said that four armoured vehicles and five pickup trucks belonging to the attackers were destroyed 85 The Russian Volunteer Corps said none of its fighters had been killed and that it had not lost equipment and said that the military camouflage on clothing in a photo distributed by Russian officials did not match those of the RVC 86 Russian government sources released footage of what it said were several abandoned Western made military vehicles that had been used by the pro Ukrainian sources 49 87 Experts questioned the authenticity of the claims about the vehicles and the extent of their truthfulness is uncertain 87 88 49 According to Radio Liberty a participant in the raid revealed in an interview that two Humvees did indeed fall into the trenches near the checkpoint and were abandoned in the location seen in the video 87 Russian government forces nbsp A Russian BTR 82A armoured personnel carrier after being captured by the Russian Volunteer Corps 89 90 At the 24 May press conference Kapustin said his soldiers had seized weapons an armoured personnel carrier and taken prisoners before leaving Russian territory 19 They showed off recently captured equipment including a Russian BTR 82A armoured personnel carrier 89 The RVC also posted footage during the raid apparently showing the body of a dead Russian border guard likely near the Kozinka border checkpoint 18 Russian authorities have downplayed the number of casualties they ve taken in the incursions keeping any figures they do have out of public hands However Russian soldiers sent to the Oblast report high casualties among the defense forces mostly due to lack of supplies The 1009th regiment stated they are struggling and even failing to achieve their goals due to lack of supplies and soldiers from the 138th Brigade stated that they lost nearly 80 of their unit 1600 soldiers during the fighting 91 Humanitarian impact and evacuationsRussian officials have said at least 13 civilians have died since the beginning of the raids and that over 50 have been injured 73 Thousands of residents of border towns have been evacuated 73 Shebekino formerly a town of 40 000 inhabitants was devastated during the second raid with almost all the inhabitants fleeing 92 AnalysisMotivation During the first raid the Freedom of Russia Legion said their main goal was to liberate the region and create a demilitarized zone in Belgorod Oblast so that Russia could not attack Ukraine from that territory 23 Andriy Yusov the spokesman of Ukraine s Military Intelligency Agency HUR speaking on 22 May agreed that the goal of the militants was to liberate territories and create a security corridor to protect Ukrainian civilians 93 Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the raid an attempt by Ukraine to divert attention away from the Russian capture of Bakhmut 25 Retired United States Army official Mark Hertling said that the raid was part of Ukrainian shaping operations to keep the Russian military on the back foot as Ukraine prepared for its highly anticipated counteroffensive 94 At the beginning of the second raid a spokesman for the Freedom of Russia Legion said their goals were to draw Russian troops away from other parts of the front and to encourage rebellion against the Russian government 95 Ukrainian involvement Ukrainian officials denied involvement in the incursion Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the Ukrainian government had nothing to do with the incursion calling it a homegrown Russian resistance movement 96 Zelenskyy s senior aide Mykhailo Podolyak said that Ukraine was monitoring the situation with interest but was not involved in the conflict 97 Andriy Yusov and other Ukrainian officials have denied any direct involvement by the Armed Forces of Ukraine and have said that the striking force was made up only of Russian citizens 93 98 49 18 Russian officials claim that the paramilitaries were from Ukrainian nationalist formations 51 The Freedom of Russia Legion has been described by the New York Times as operating under the umbrella of Ukraine s International Legion 99 Russian opposition politician Ilya Ponomarev also claimed the unit to be acting as part of the Ukrainian armed forces 100 Ukrainian officials said the Freedom of Russia Legion operates as part of Ukraine s defense and security forces while it is inside Ukraine but acts independently if it is outside the country 15 Speaking to media Kapustin said that Ukrainian authorities did encourage his group but denied that they provided weapons equipment or instructions 101 He did say that Ukrainian military took in wounded RVC members but that was the extent of support saying that Every decision we make beyond the state border is our own decision Obviously we can ask our Ukrainian comrades friends for their assistance in planning 101 He denied reports that his fighters were using weapons provided by Ukraine s Western allies and said Ukraine only provided support with medical supplies fuel and food 19 According to BBC News it is unlikely that the incursion was made without the help of Ukrainian military intelligence and may play into Russian narratives that Russia is under attack by Western backed forces 49 ReactionsUkraine nbsp The Belgorod People s Republic flagSome Ukrainian officials compared the attack to Russia s use of little green men during the early stages of the Russo Ukrainian War 9 Mykhailo Podolyak ironically 17 said that tanks are sold at any Russian military store referencing Putin s claim that the little green men weren t Russian troops but local pro Russian militias who had purchased their uniforms firearms and even armored vehicles from military stores 41 Ukrainian social media accounts humorously compared the attackers to the pro Russian separatists in Donbas 94 Most notably Ukrainian sources began circulating a photo showing three soldiers who took part in the raid proclaiming a Belgorod People s Republic and holding a flag of the supposed republic 10 102 103 104 Internet memes about creating such an entity a satire of the pro Russian Donetsk and Luhansk people s republics spread on Ukrainian social media following the raid 96 105 106 107 83 These included jokes by the Russian insurgents in Russia themselves about holding a referendum in Belgorod Oblast for the formal establishment of the Belgorod People s Republic 108 Russia Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russian president Vladimir Putin was informed about the raid 109 Dmitry Medvedev deputy chairman of Security Council of Russia blamed the Ukrainian government for the attack and called for the extermination of the perpetrators 110 Russian Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu said that the Russian military would respond more harshly to any further incursions 111 According to the Institute for the Study of War the Russian milblogger community reacted to the May raid with panic factionalism and incoherency consistent with its previous responses to significant informational shocks 18 Wagner Group head Yevgeny Prigozhin accused the Russian Defense Ministry of incompetence in defending Russia and its borders 18 Following the second incursion on 1 June Igor Girkin and other Russian ultra nationalists heavily criticized the Russian government and its response to the attacks Girkin called Vladimir Putin out of touch and complaining about a lack of Russian military escalation to secure borders 112 On 3 June Yevgeny Prigozhin stated that after his Wagner units withdrew completely from Bakhmut he would send the units to guard the border of Belgorod Oblast regardless of orders from the Russian Ministry of Defense 113 He called Belgorod governor Gladkov an uneducated ill prepared coward and said Defense Minister Shoigu s lack of resolve had enabled genocide against the Russian people 92 On 5 June Ramzan Kadyrov head of the Chechen Republic stated he would be willing to send 70 000 Chechen fighters to Belgorod to help protect the border but had his offer declined by the Russian commander in chief 114 Residents of Shebekino when interviewed by Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty still appeared to be firmly in support of the campaign under way in Ukraine but expressed dismay and confusion at the lack of helpful response or sympathy from the Russian government 73 United States United States Department of State spokesperson Matthew Miller said that while the United States doesn t enable or encourage attacks outside Ukraine s borders it is Russia that launched this war and thus it is up to Ukraine to decide how they want to conduct their military operations 115 He also acknowledged reports circulating on social media and elsewhere that U S supplied weapons were used in the attack but said the U S was skeptical of such reports 49 See also2022 2023 rail war in RussiaNotes See Ukrainian involvement for more details References Russian Volunteer Corps announces death of Daniil Maznik who led assault on Novaya Tavolzhanka global espreso tv 9 June 2023 Operaciyu po zachistke Belgorodskoj oblasti ot diversantov provodit general Lapin global espreso tv 9 June 2023 Retrieved 10 June 2023 Russian Volunteer Corps and Freedom of Russia Legion said they killed a colonel of Russian Armed Forces in Belgorod Oblast Ukrainska Pravda Yahoo 5 June 2023 Retrieved 6 June 2023 a b c Angriffe in der Region Belgorod Auch polnische Kampfer auf russischem Gebiet eXXpress in German 4 June 2023 Archived from the original on 4 June 2023 a b c d Polscy najemnicy walczyli w obwodzie bielgorodzkim Dla naszego oddzialu byl to zaszczyt in Polish Polsat News 4 June 2023 Archived from the original on 4 June 2023 a b c d Zdaecca u Belgaradskaj voblasci pabyvali belaruskiya dobraahvotniki in Belarusian European Radio for Belarus 3 June 2023 Archived from the original on 17 June 2023 a b Voyuyushie za Ukrainu chechenskie bojcy ne vstretili soprotivleniya v Belgorodskoj oblasti ee ohranyayut kadyrovcy in Russian 18 July 2023 a b Ichkerijskie otryady na Ukraine in Russian 18 August 2023 a b Roth Andrew Smith David 23 May 2023 Russia claims to repel Belgorod attack by anti Putin fighters The Guardian ISSN 0261 3077 Retrieved 31 May 2023 a b c Barnes Joe Vasilyeva Nataliya 22 May 2023 Pro Ukrainian fighters launch cross border tank raid to capture Russian villages The Daily Telegraph Archived from the original on 22 May 2023 a b c Sabotage group crossed into Russia Belgorod governor says DW News 22 May 2023 Archived from the original on 22 May 2023 Retrieved 22 May 2023 Roth Andrew 22 May 2023 Anti Putin militia claims to have overrun Russian border village The Guardian Archived from the original on 22 May 2023 Retrieved 22 May 2023 Pro Ukrainian Russian partisans advance into Russia s Belgorod region in surprise raid Yahoo News 22 May 2023 Archived from the original on 22 May 2023 Retrieved 22 May 2023 Gregory James 22 May 2023 Ukraine war Russia battles armed group in border region BBC Archived from the original on 22 May 2023 Retrieved 22 May 2023 a b Butenko Victoria Chernova Anna 22 May 2023 Russia accuses Ukraine of mounting sabotage attack across border CNN Archived from the original on 22 May 2023 Retrieved 22 May 2023 Kremlin looks to reassert Putin s authority after Wagner rebellion Here s what else you should know CNN 29 June 2023 Retrieved 29 June 2023 At least 14 servicemen from the Pskov region in Russia were killed in early June during an incursion in the Belgorod region according to Pskov Gov Mikhail Vedernikov a b c Polityuk Pavel 23 May 2023 Fighting in Russian region enters second day after raid from Ukraine Reuters Archived from the original on 23 May 2023 Retrieved 23 May 2023 via www reuters com a b c d e f Hird Karolina Mappes Grace Wolkov Nicole Philipson Layne Kagan Frederick W Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment May 22 2023 Institute for the Study of War Archived from the original on 23 May 2023 Retrieved 23 May 2023 a b c d e f Belgorod Russian paramilitary group vows more incursions BBC News 24 May 2023 Archived from the original on 25 May 2023 Retrieved 25 May 2023 Smith Patrick 25 May 2023 Pro Ukraine border raid exposes Russian defenses and divisions NBC News Archived from the original on 25 May 2023 Retrieved 25 May 2023 a b Russia Says Air Force Artillery Wipe Out Border Attackers The Moscow Times 23 May 2023 Archived from the original on 23 May 2023 Retrieved 23 May 2023 a b Governor claims explosions in Russia s Belgorod Oblast Kyiv Independent 22 May 2023 Archived from the original on 22 May 2023 Retrieved 22 May 2023 a b c Freedom of Russia Legion says they are creating a demilitarised zone in Russia Ukrainska Pravda 22 May 2023 Archived from the original on 22 May 2023 Retrieved 22 May 2023 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peresekli granicu FSB i Minoborony RF eto otricayut Meduza in Russian Retrieved 12 March 2024 Cross border shelling damages Russian bridge refinery The Moscow Times 6 June 2022 Archived from the original on 4 December 2022 Retrieved 14 June 2022 Byelgorodska narodna respublika Danilov potroliv RF cherez vibuhi na naftobazi video FOKUS in Ukrainian 1 April 2022 Retrieved 22 May 2023 Byelgorodska narodna respublika troling Danilova pro pozhezhu na naftobazi v rosiyi Informacijne agentstvo Ukrayinski Nacionalni Novini UNN Vsi onlajn novini dnya v Ukrayini za sogodni najsvizhishi ostanni golovni in Ukrainian Retrieved 27 May 2023 Belgorodskaya Narodnaya Respublika BNR chem zapomnilos 1 aprelya 2022 goda Pravnik in Ukrainian 1 April 2022 Retrieved 29 May 2023 We are already used to the explosions How Belgorod region residents ended up in a war zone an on the ground report The Insider in Russian Retrieved 29 May 2023 Dixon Robyn Ebel Francesca Ilyushina Mary 2 March 2023 Kremlin accuses Ukraine of violent attack in western Russia The Washington Post ISSN 0190 8286 Archived from the original on 2 March 2023 Retrieved 4 March 2023 Fire engulfs administrative building in Belgorod Oblast alleged drone attack reported Yahoo News 21 May 2023 Retrieved 23 May 2023 a b c d Belgorod governor reports incursion into region by Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group Meduza Archived from the original on 22 May 2023 Retrieved 22 May 2023 Casualty count rises in Grayvoron district near Ukrainian border Six civilians injured by shelling Belgorod governor reports Meduza 22 May 2023 Archived from the original on 22 May 2023 Retrieved 22 May 2023 a b Explosions in Belgorod Oblast Russian Volunteer Corps and Freedom of Russia Legion urge not to resist Ukrainska Pravda Yahoo News 22 May 2023 Archived from the original on 22 May 2023 Retrieved 22 May 2023 Davis Charles R 23 May 2023 Russian opposition group posts video of what appears to be an antiwar flag above Moscow following 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original on 9 May 2023 Retrieved 23 May 2023 Dobrynin Sergej 24 May 2023 Rejd skvoz tuman Chego dobilis bojcy RDK pod Belgorodom Radio Svoboda Retrieved 25 May 2023 V Belgorodskoj oblasti otbilis ot diversantov iz Grajvorona ne vyvozyat TYaO uyazvimoe polozhenie rossiyan v Bahmute Chto proishodit na fronte The Insider in Russian Retrieved 23 May 2023 a b c d e f g h Gardner Frank FitzGerald James 23 May 2023 Ukraine war US distances itself from Belgorod incursion into Russia BBC News Archived from the original on 23 May 2023 Retrieved 24 May 2023 a b Osborn Andrew 23 May 2023 Russia says cross border attack from Ukraine has been crushed one civilian killed Reuters Retrieved 23 May 2023 a b c d e Gregory James Gardner Frank 23 May 2023 Belgorod raid Insurgents defeated after rare cross border incursion Russia BBC News Archived from the original on 23 May 2023 Retrieved 23 May 2023 a b c Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment May 23 2023 Institute for the Study of War Archived from the 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reports second day of fighting in Russia s Belgorod Reuters 2 June 2023 a b Polityuk Pavel 22 May 2023 Russia says it s battling cross border raids nothing to do with us says Ukraine Reuters Archived from the original on 22 May 2023 Zelenskyy s senior aide says Ukraine has nothing to do with Belgorod operation Al Jazeera English 22 May 2023 Retrieved 22 May 2023 Operaciya zi stvorennya smugi bezpeki na kordoni z RF sho vidomo pro podiyi u Byelgorodskij oblasti Suspilne 22 May 2023 Archived from the original on 22 May 2023 Retrieved 22 May 2023 Schwirtz Michael 12 February 2023 They Are Russians Fighting Against Their Homeland Here s Why The New York Times Archived from the original on 26 February 2023 Shankar Priyanka Wagner chief Prigozhin says 20 000 mercenaries killed in Bakhmut Al Jazeera Archived from the original on 24 May 2023 Retrieved 24 May 2023 a b Leader of anti Putin force says expect more Russian border raids Archived from the original on 25 May 2023 Retrieved 25 May 2023 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Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link Frontline report Russian insurgents imitate large scale attack prepare for referendum in Russia s Belgorod Oblast Euromaidan Press 3 June 2023 Kremlin says Putin has been informed of incursion into Belgorod Oblast Ukrainska Pravda 22 May 2023 Archived from the original on 22 May 2023 Retrieved 22 May 2023 Medvedev says rat bastards who infiltrated Belgorod Region must be exterminated TASS 23 May 2023 Archived from the original on 24 May 2023 Retrieved 24 May 2023 Pavlova Uliana 24 May 2023 Russia will respond extremely harshly to future incursions defense minister says CNN Archived from the original on 24 May 2023 Retrieved 24 May 2023 Panella Chris Russian ultranationalists think Putin s response to the Moscow drone attacks and border raids shows he s out of touch with reality Business Insider Retrieved 1 June 2023 Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment June 3 2023 Institute for the Study of War Retrieved 4 June 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