“Ukraine Denies Involvement in Alleged Attack in Belgorod, Russia”

Mykhajlo Podoljak, adviser to the President of Ukraine, writes on Twitter that the country has nothing to do with the alleged attack inside Russian territory.

– Ukraine looks at the events in the Belgorod district in Russia with interest and studies the situation, but has nothing to do with them, writes Podoljak.

Ukrainian military intelligence also says that the country has nothing to do with the attack. They refer to what they call “oppositional Russian citizens”, writes the website Hromadske.

Unclear what has happened

It is unclear what has happened inside Russian territory. The first messages came on Monday at 1.30pm.

Then the governor of the Belgorod region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said that sabotage groups from the Ukrainian army had crossed into Russian territory.

Aftenpostenwho has location-verified videos from the area, writes that there are disputes in several villages in the Belgorod area.

The videos show vehicles along the roads near the border and smoke a little further north-east.

It will concern four villages in the Belgorod area. Among them are Glotovo and Grayvoron. The last one is around nine kilometers from the border with Ukraine.

Has deployed large forces

Gladkov, says that forces from the Russian army, the border forces, the presidential guard and the security service FSB are involved from the Russian side.

He says it is a sabotage and reconnaissance group from the Ukrainian army that has entered the country.

According to Gladkov, at least six people are injured. Two people have been hospitalized after an artillery attack on the village of Glotovo. A further three people are being treated in hospital for splinter injuries in Grajvoron.

A Kremlin spokesman says President Putin has been informed of the alleged attack.

The Kremlin says that the Ukrainian sabotage group entered Russia to “divert attention” from the Bakhmut battle in eastern Ukraine.

Volunteer Russians

Ukraine’s military intelligence service claims Russian citizens are behind the armed action in Belgorod on Monday, according to Hromadske.

– Those responsible belong to two paramilitary groups, says Andrij Jusov, spokesperson for the intelligence. He names the groups as the “Legion of Russia” and the “Russian Volunteer Corps.”

According to Aftenposten, the groups mainly consist of Russian volunteers who have enlisted in Ukraine. They have previously carried out similar operations, including in Bryansk.