2023-05-24 12:02:00
In the Russian border region of Belgorod, shock troops from Ukraine take three villages and engage in skirmishes with the Russian army.
Frankfurt – The situation remained unclear on Tuesday. Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of Russia’s border region of Belgorod, said “cleaning up of the territory” was going on, there were 12 civilians injured, 29 houses and three cars were damaged. The Russian Defense Ministry said the invaders were “blocked and destroyed,” their remains were thrown back across the border, and “70 Ukrainian terrorists” were killed.
Russian military bloggers wrote about heavy and far from decisive battles in the Grayvoron area. “In 24 hours, the Khokhly (Russian swear word for Ukrainians) settled in two villages,” wrote the Rybar Telegram channel. “Artillery and tank shells are hailing from there.” According to Rybar, the enemy received reinforcements from Ukraine on Tuesday. Another raiding party reached the border near the village of Shchetinovkoi and involved the Russian armed forces in combat.
Before sunrise on Monday, motorized and tank-supported shock troops from Ukraine had penetrated several kilometers into Russian territory near Grayvoron and occupied at least three villages. They took selfies in front of place-name signs and introduced themselves as fighters of the Free Russia Legion and the Russian Volunteer Corps, made up of Russian citizens.
“Great Disquiet”: Suddenly fighting breaks out in Belgorod
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov expressed “great concern”. The advance confirmed that the “Ukrainian guerrillas are continuing their activities against our country”. There was clear unrest in the war-patriotic public. Nationalist intelligence veteran Igor Strelkov attested that the Ukrainians were entrenched near the village of Kosinka and at the Grajvoron border post and that they intend to hold their positions as long as possible. The enemy begins their counter-offensive with such diversionary maneuvers.
“Now he just has to wait until the Russian command is forced to throw reserves into this operationally completely hopeless section for the sake of prestige.” According to the “Ukrainskaya Pravda” portal, the “Free Russia” legion said on Tuesday afternoon, the “liberation of the Belgorod region” continues.
In fact, the attack also seems to target the Kremlin’s prestige and mood in Russia. In Kiev it is not yet certain that their own major offensive is imminent. But spectacular pinpricks against Russia have been going on for weeks. In early May, two combat drones hit a Kremlin dome with pinpoint accuracy, spoiling Vladimir Putin’s May 9 military parade in Red Square. In the middle of the month, the Ukrainians shot down two Russian fighter-bombers and two helicopters escorting them, also over the Belgorod region.
Clashes in Belgorod: apparently Russian partisans at work
The growing number of Russians who do not get their information from state TV, but from YouTube or exile portals, are increasingly experiencing that the “enemy” is showing more zest for action and boldness. On the Russian side, however, the loud conflicts between mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin and the Ministry of Defense are making the headlines. On Monday he sneered that the Ministry of Defense could not attack and was therefore a Ministry of Defense.
Kyiv is also trolling Moscow. Ukraine is following events in the Belgorod region with interest but has nothing to do with them, Presidential Advisor Mikhail Podoliak tweeted. “It is well known that you can buy tanks in any Russian military shop.” A reference to Vladimir Putin’s famous claim from 2014 that the Russian soldiers in Crimea are local vigilante groups and that Russian uniforms can be bought in any military shop. Now Ukrainian propaganda has the laughs on its side.
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