2023-05-23 11:40:11
The Kremlin expressed its “deep concern” on Tuesday, the second day of an operation to counter the largest armed incursion on Russian soil since Ukraine, marked by artillery strikes which forced the evacuation of several localities .
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The Russian presidency also admitted that “more efforts” were necessary to counter these incursions, while the multiplication of attacks on Russian soil questions the solidity of Moscow’s defenses, at a time when Kyiv says it is preparing a major offensive magnitude.
In Ukraine, where the authorities deny any involvement in this operation claimed by groups of Russian anti-Putin fighters, President Volodymyr Zelensky went to the front line in the Donetsk region on Tuesday, the scene of heavy fighting.
But it is of course the Russian side of the border that attention is focused on, since the incursion of an armed group into the Belgorod region on Monday, which prompted the authorities to cordon off the area and evacuate several bombarded localities. .
The attack was claimed by anti-Putin Russian groups engaged on the Ukrainian front for months and which had already carried out similar operations, but on a smaller scale.
“What happened (Monday) arouses deep concern and once again demonstrates that Ukrainian fighters continue their activities against our country,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
“It requires more effort from us, these efforts continue to be made and the special military operation (in Ukraine) continues so that this does not happen again,” he added.
Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said “mopping up” operations were continuing. It was not immediately clear if clashes were still taking place in the region, or even if there were still fighters from Ukraine there.
According to him, several localities, including the town of Gaïvoron, capital of the district of the same name, were subjected to “numerous” bombardments, using artillery pieces, multiple rocket launchers and drones.
Nine localities were also evacuated, said Mr. Gladkov, who reported a total of at least 12 injured civilians.
In response to the incursion, Russia decreed on Monday an “anti-terrorist” regime, a measure which strengthens the powers of the authorities to carry out armed operations, control civilians or even evacuate populations. This regime had been used in Chechnya from 1999 to 2009.
The Russian Investigative Committee, in charge of the main investigations, also announced on Tuesday the opening of an investigation for “terrorist act”.
If other attacks have taken place in recent weeks in this border region, it is the first to have taken such a scale. This offensive also illustrates the permeability of the Russian border.
The operation was claimed on a Telegram channel which presents itself as belonging to the “Legion Freedom for Russia”, a group of Russians fighting on the Ukrainian side, which had already claimed to be behind previous incursions in the same region. .
Another similar group would participate in the operation, the “Russian Volunteer Corps”.
Kyiv, for its part, has denied any involvement with the incursion. “We are not waging war on foreign territories,” Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Ganna Maliar assured on Tuesday, sweeping away an “internal Russian crisis”.
As a vast Ukrainian counter-offensive looms, Russian territory has been the target in recent months and weeks of an increasing number of sabotages, bombings and drone attacks attributed to Kyiv, but never claimed by the Ukraine which prefers to evoke actions of Russian partisans.
Russian President Vladimir Putin had yet to comment on the incursion as of midday Tuesday. On Monday, his spokesperson said he had been informed of the situation.
The Kremlin on Monday accused Kyiv of being behind this incursion, in order to “divert attention” from the seizure claimed by Russian forces of the city of Bakhmout, in eastern Ukraine.
Russian forces claimed this weekend to have taken the entire devastated city, the scene of the longest and deadliest battle of the conflict, where both sides suffered heavy casualties.
Mr. Zelensky denied the loss of Bakhmout and his army said it still held a small area, while continuing to push through the Russian flanks north and south of the city.
“The battles for the city of Bakhmout continue,” said the Ukrainian general staff on Tuesday morning.
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