There continues to be widespread confusion over experiences of an armed raid throughout the Ukrainian border into Russia, with claims of pro-Ukrainian fighters capturing a city and the usage of a tank.
Russia says greater than 70 attackers have been killed within the Belgorod area and the remnants of their models pushed again into Ukrainian territory after two days of combating.
Moscow has blamed “Ukrainian militants” however Kyiv portrayed the alleged incursion as an rebellion by Russian partisans and stated it had nothing to do with it.
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What has occurred within the Belgorod area?
Russian troops and safety forces spent a second day combating the reported incursion from Ukraine, which has centred across the city of Graivoron.
Did pro-Ukrainian fighters seize a Russian city?
On Monday afternoon, Belgorod regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov reported {that a} group of saboteurs from the Ukrainian armed forces had entered the city, which is situated about three miles inside Russia’s border.
Graivoron additionally got here underneath assault from drones and Ukrainian artillery hearth, he stated.
Smoke seen over the Belgorod area following the reported assault
The Freedom of Russia Legion, a militia comprised of Russian volunteers, claimed to have been concerned in an assault in Belgorod.
It stated on Twitter it had “completely liberated” the city of Kozinka and ahead models had reached the district centre of Graivoron.
On Tuesday afternoon Russia’s defence ministry stated the remnants of the models it blamed for the incursion had been compelled again into Ukrainian territory.
Sky News has been unable to confirm the experiences popping out of Belgorod.
Military automobiles seen at a Belgorod checkpoint
Who was behind the alleged assault?
It’s an advanced image. Russia has blamed the Ukrainian armed forces for the reported border incursion however Kyiv has denied any involvement.
“Ukraine is watching the events in the Belgorod region of Russia with interest and studying the situation, but it has nothing to do with it,” Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, stated on Twitter.
“As you know, tanks are sold at any Russian military store, and underground guerrilla groups are composed of Russian citizens,” he added.
Defence knowledgeable, professor Michael Clarke, stated it stays unclear who was behind the assault – and who knew about it.
“The big question is was Ukraine in any way behind it, and if they weren’t behind it, did they know about it,” he advised Sky News.
“Or was it as much a surprise to them as it was to the Kremlin?
“I believe the Zelenskyy authorities is simply too intelligent to do that,” he added.
Still from a video of a helicopter seen releasing flares
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Who are the Russian partisans accused of raiding Belgorod?
Two teams – the Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC) and Freedom of Russia Legion – have claimed duty.
The Freedom of Russia Legion says it was shaped in spring 2022 “out of the wish of Russians to fight in the ranks of the armed forces of Ukraine against Putin’s armed gang”.
It says it cooperates with the Ukrainian armed forces and operates underneath Ukrainian command.
The Ukrainian army intelligence company’s spokesperson stated on Monday that the assaults in Belgorod solely concerned Russian residents and that they have been making a “security zone” to guard Ukrainian civilians. He didn’t affirm or deny that the forces working there are a Ukrainian unit.
A video posted by the RVC on Monday confirmed two males claiming to have captured a Russian armoured personnel service.
The Reuters information company stated it was capable of determine one of many males as Ilya Bogdanov, a Russian nationwide who obtained Ukrainian citizenship in 2015 after combating for Kyiv in opposition to Russian-backed forces in Ukraine’s east.
Is the alleged assault essential?
Professor Clarke says the reported incursion into Russia is not important in the middle of the broader conflict, however that it doubtlessly has propaganda worth.
He says in a technique it is much like the drone assault on Moscow – “it’s humiliating”.
“On the other hand they kind of get the benefit of saying look this is how we are under attack by the Ukrainians and they want to destroy Russia.”
Content Source: information.sky.com