“Russian-Ukrainian Conflict Intensifies: ‘Freedom of Russia Legion’ Claims Responsibility for Attacks in Belgorod Region”

A crashed helicopter, shootings and shocked exclamations in videos: various images of military developments in the Russian region of Belgorod, close to the border with Ukraine, are circulating on social media. Russian authorities say Ukraine is behind the attacks, but Ukraine points to Russian militias.

According to Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of the region, a Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group has entered Grajvoron district and fighting has been ongoing in the Belgorod region by Ukrainian forces since this morning. Gladkov wrote that in a post on Telegram.

The governor later reported in a live stream that eight people were injured in the attacks. There would have been no deaths. Three houses, an office and a kindergarten are also said to have been damaged.

Due to the attacks, Gladkov announced special “anti-terrorism measures” such as ID checks. According to the governor, most people in Grajvoron district have now left their homes.

Kremlin adviser Dmitri Peskov also points to Ukraine and speaks of a “Ukrainian sabotage group”, the Russian state news agency Ria Novosti reports. According to Peskov, Ukraine is trying to divert attention from Bachmut with the attacks.

But on their own Telegram channel, a group calling itself the Russian Volunteer Corps (RVK) is claiming the attacks. And the Ukrainian intelligence services also point to Russian militias.

The RVK would not be the only group active in the region. A group calling itself the “Freedom of Russia Legion” posted a video today calling on Russians to “take responsibility for their future”. The group was founded shortly after the invasion of Russia and then wrote in a manifesto that it wanted to overthrow the Putin regime. Today, the group again opposed United Russia, the party that supports Putin.

The Freedom of Russia Legion also actively reported on their Telegram channel during the day. For example, the group reported that it had liberated various places in the region together with the RVK.

In one of the videos the group posted to Telegram today, two men in military clothing can be seen while gunfire is heard in the background. “The news from the fields of Belgorod is not long in coming.”

An adviser to Ukrainian President Zelensky, Mychajlo Podoljak, says that although Ukraine is following developments with interest, it is not involved. “As you know, tanks are sold in every Russian military store and there are underground guerrilla groups made up of Russian citizens,” tweeted An extension cord.

However, Ukrainian news medium Suspilne reports that a spokesman for the Ukrainian security services, Andri Yusov, has said that the RVK and the Freedom of Russia Legion are conducting an operation in Belgorod to “create a security strip” to protect Ukrainian citizens. The operation was to be carried out exclusively by Russian citizens. To the American news channel CNN he then said the groups are “part of defense and security forces” but operate as independent entities in Russia.

It is not the first time that the RVK has claimed an attack on Russian territory. Earlier this spring there were attacks in Bryansk, much of which remained unclear, but for which the RVK eventually claimed responsibility. The group was labeled a ‘terrorist organization’ by the Russian Supreme Court in March this year. The images that circulated on social media then led to unrest among the Russian population.

Even then, the Ukrainian authorities denied involvement in the attacks. The leader of the RVK, the far-right Denis Kapoestin, then told the Financial Times that the actions had indeed been agreed with the Ukrainian authorities.