Russian-Ukrainian Border Conflict Escalates with Cross-Border Incursion

But Ukraine denied its involvement and claimed that Russian citizens from two paramilitary groups were behind the incursion into Russian territory.

And the attack, which began on Monday, prompted Moscow to announce an anti-terror operation, and to grant local authorities special powers to restrict people’s contacts and movements.

The proceedings continued into Tuesday afternoon, and even then a paramilitary group still claimed control of what it said was “a small piece of our motherland”.

The claims of the two warring parties have not been independently verified, but any attacks on Russian soil are making NATO leaders nervous. The latest development may come as a “boon” for Kiev.

The Russian Defense Ministry said that “a unit of the Ukrainian national formation” swept into the territory and was responsible for heavy shelling at the Kozinka checkpoint and other parts of the nearby area.

The Ministry of Defense claimed that it expelled the rest of the fighters towards the Ukrainian border, after killing what it described as “Ukrainian terrorists” with artillery and air strikes.

However, Ukrainian officials said the attackers were Russian, and that they belonged to two groups known as the Russian Freedom Corps and the Russian Volunteer Corps.

“These are Russian citizens and they want to change the political system in the country,” Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hana Malyar told the Ukrainian channel.

The Russian Liberation Corps group said on Twitter on Monday that it had “liberated the entire border village of Kozinka, and that its units had reached as far as the town of Greyvoron to the east.”

The group added that it would continue to fight to liberate the Belgorod region and that Russian forces could not intercept it.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Russian Volunteer Corps group posted a video of its fighters heading towards what appeared to be a checkpoint, and said it still controlled “a small piece of our homeland”.

The two groups told Ukraine’s public broadcaster Sospilin that they were working to create a “demilitarized zone on the border with the Russian Federation from which they would not be able to bomb Ukraine”.

A cross-border incursion would be an embarrassment for Moscow, and it serves to somewhat compensate Ukraine for losing control of Bakhmut after months of fierce and bloody fighting.

It is also likely to be part of the formation operations of Ukraine, prior to its next counteroffensive, with the aim of drawing Russian forces away from the south, from where they are expected to attack Kiev.

But this development is unlikely to be welcomed in the West.

The long-range weapons provided to Kiev by Western allies are still – while not used in this attack – on the condition that they not be used against targets inside Russia.

Despite the official denials from Kiev, it is hard to believe that the attack was launched without the help of Ukraine’s military intelligence.

This may serve the Kremlin’s narrative of an attack on Russia’s private sovereignty by malign forces backed by the West.

This narrative is likely to be bolstered by reports that those involved in the attack were linked to the far-right, bolstering Moscow’s claims that it is trying to rid Ukraine of neo-Nazis.

Belgorod governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said several people were injured during the fighting, including two civilians who were fleeing their home.

He talked about the evacuation of people from several villages, and warned those who left their homes to return now, with the Russian forces carrying out what he described as a “cleansing” operation.

He added that air defenses shot down drones during the night, causing damage to buildings.

Temporary shelters have been set up in the Greyvoronsky district for approximately 9,300 displaced people, according to local authorities.

The BBC verified that a building used by the Russian Federal Security Service was among the buildings that were bombed. It is not yet clear what damage has been done to this building.