UKRAINE: Russia attacked parts of the border district of Belgorod on Monday, and images of abandoned or damaged Western military vehicles were made public. The US stated it did not “encourage or enable strikes inside Russia.”
A spokesperson for the State Department admitted that claims of US-supplied weaponry being deployed were being investigated but expressed skepticism about their veracity.
Ukraine must decide how to conduct the conflict, as Russia claims 70 attackers were killed and two Russian paramilitary organizations claimed responsibility. Kyiv denies any involvement, while two Russian paramilitary organizations claim responsibility.
Moscow declared a counter-terrorism operation in response to the raid, granting the government extra authority to restrict communication and public movement. The governor of Belgorod reported one citizen dead and several others injured in the violence.
Vyacheslav Gladkov declared that Belgorod had been targeted by a drone strike that destroyed a car with an explosive device, with no further casualties reported.
Russia’s defense ministry claimed that a Ukrainian nationalist formation had violated its territory in Belgorod, displaying a destroyed car with the Russian words “for Bakhmut” scrawled on its side. It also claimed to have repelled the remaining combatants back to the Ukrainian border and killed dozens of “Ukrainian terrorists” in air and artillery attacks.
Ukrainian officials confirmed that assailants from the Liberty of Russia Legion and the Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC) were responsible. They claimed the assailants were attempting to establish a demilitarized zone on the border with the Russian Federation.
Meanwhile, NATO is concerned about any assaults on Russian territory, which may not bode well for Kyiv.
The raid may humiliate Moscow, help Ukraine avoid negative publicity, and deter Russian forces from the south while shaping operations for Ukraine’s counteroffensive. However, the West is unlikely to appreciate this development.
The Kremlin’s claim that hostile forces backed by the West are threatening Russia’s security is supported by allegations that some of the individuals involved have ties to far-right extremism. The raid was likely carried out with assistance from Ukrainian military intelligence, which reinforces Moscow’s assertion that it is attempting to eliminate neo-Nazis from Ukraine.
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