Russian-Ukrainian tensions escalate with incursion into Belgorod region

An operation “to divert attention” from the defeat suffered in Bakhmut. This is how Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the incursion that took place today from Ukraine into Russian territory in the province of Belgorod.

The incursion from Ukrainian territory into the Belgorod region of Russia is conducted only by Russian militiamen belonging to two organizations, Freedom for Russia and the Russian Volunteer Corps. A representative of Ukrainian military intelligence, Andriy Yusov, told the Suspilne warhead. The purpose of the operation, he adds, is to “create a security zone” in Russian territory.

Russian partisans of Freedom of Russia and the Russian Volunteer Corps announced today in several Telegram messages, including videos, that they have launched raids on the Russian-Ukrainian border and have put up their flags in the localities of Bezlyudovka, Churovichi and Lyubimovka, in the Belgorod, Bryansk and Kursk regions of Russia. And they launched an appeal: «Citizens of Russia, we are Russians like you. The only difference is that we no longer want to justify the actions of the criminals in power and we want the Kremlin dictatorship to end. The first banners of a free Russia dawn over the liberated cities, they write.

For “several hours” the Ukrainian armed forces shelled the Graivoronsky district in the Belgorod region of Russia. This was stated by Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov on his Telegram channel. Ria Novosti reports it. But various Ukrainian media speak of actions carried out by Russian volunteers, supported by the forces of Kiev. According to the governor, in the village of Kozinka, a private house caught fire from mortar fire, another suffered significant damage, a fence and a car were also damaged. In the village of Gora-Podol, a fire broke out in a hay warehouse of a local farm. In Grayvoron, shells hit the territory of a trucking enterprise, there was no damage, and according to independent Ukrainian media, even a border checkpoint. In the village of Zamosc, the fence of a private house was damaged. On social media, several videos seem to confirm the attacks.

Ukrainian forces have entered Russian territory in the Belgorod region and clashes are ongoing with Moscow forces. This was stated by the governor of the region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, on his Telegram channel, quoted by the RIA Novosti agency. On various Telegram channels, both Russian and Ukrainian, videos of the clashes circulate, also with the use of helicopters. «A sabotage and reconnaissance group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine – writes Governor Gladkov – entered the territory of the Grayvoronsky district. The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, together with the Border Service, the Russian Guard and the FSB, are taking the necessary measures to eliminate the enemy.”

In a statement, the Ukrainian operator Energoatom he said the blackout was caused by a nighttime “attack” by Russian forces that cut the connection to the last high-voltage power line linking the plant to the Ukrainian grid. “Following the outage of the Dnipro high-voltage line, the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant lost its external power supply,” the Russian occupation administration said on Telegram. He said the site’s emergency diesel generators were turned on to ensure minimum operation and cooling of the reactors. According to Energoatom, these generators typically have ten days’ fuel.

“If it is not possible to restore external energy during this period, an accident with radioactive consequences for the entire planet could occur,” Energoatom warned on Monday. The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, reacted by stating that the nuclear safety of the site is “extremely vulnerable”. “We have to find an agreement to protect the plant, this situation cannot continue,” he said on Twitter.

The situation in Bakhmut has not changed since yesterday and Ukrainian forces continue to control the Litak district in the southwest of the city. This was reported by the Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine, Hanna Malyar, quoted by Rbc Ukraine.

«Since yesterday the situation is more or less the same as yesterday. We recall that yesterday our armed forces retained control of some infrastructure, industrial facilities and the private sector in the South-Western District. This is the Litak (Aero) district. Even today we keep control of this part of the city,” he said.

Suspilne, Ukraine’s state broadcaster, reports that external power supply to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant has been restored, after an earlier outage forced the plant to rely on emergency diesel generators. “Energy workers have restored the power transmission line that powers the plant. The station is switching to power from the Ukrainian energy system,” Ukrenergo reported on Telegram.

The West’s plan to supply Ukraine with US-made F-16 fighter jets and train Ukrainian pilots “is completely useless. Our capabilities make it possible to unquestionably achieve every objective of the special military operation”. This was stated by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, as reported by Interfax. “No attack on the security of the Russian Federation, no matter the extent of such measures taken by the US-led collective West, will lead to the result sought by the West,” Ryabkov told reporters.

IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi tweeted that the situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant «is extremely vulnerable, this situation cannot continue»after which the site had to disconnect from the Ukrainian power grid. «The plant this morning was disconnected from the external electricity grid for the seventh time during the conflict, it is now using emergency diesel generators for power; the nuclear safety situation of the plant is extremely vulnerable. We must decide to protect the plant now: this situation cannot continue»he wrote.

The city of Dnipro in east-central Ukraine was shelled overnight by the Russian military who fired 16 Russian missiles and 20 explosive drones, the Ukrainian military said. During the night attack, “four Kh-101 and Kh-555 cruise missiles and 20 Shahed attack drones were destroyed by the anti-aircraft defense,” the Ukrainian military said in a statement posted on Facebook.

A Russian raid conducted overnight with missiles and drones on the Dnipropetrovsk region has caused the wounding of civilians and damage to residential buildings. The governor of Dnipropetrovsk Serhii Lysak wrote on Telegram, explaining that the Ukrainian anti-aircraft defense shot down 15 drones and four cruise missiles. In detail, a 27-year-old woman was injured in the Dniprovskyi district, while several buildings were damaged in the attack, Lysak said. Seven people were injured after a drone crashed in Synelnykivskyi district, he added. “Three private houses and nine apartments were hit, as well as a playground, shops and administrative buildings,” Lysak said.

The Bakhmut area in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk oblast remains the “epicenter” of the battle. The Ukrainian armed forces reported this this morning after the Russians claimed to have completely “liberated” the city under siege for months. In Bakhmut »the enemy continues to conduct offensive actions. The fighting for the town of Bakhmut continues«, the Armed Forces of Ukraine said, adding that over the past day Russian forces have »unsuccessfully tried to recover lost positions south of the settlement of Ivanivske«.

The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe’s largest in southern Ukraine, has suspended production after its generators were put into standby and emergency modes. This was stated by pro-Russian regional governor Vladimir Rogov, explaining that the plant was “completely” disconnected from external power after Ukraine disconnected a power line it controls. Zaporizhzhia city council secretary Anatoliy Kurtev of Ukraine said that work has been underway since early today to restore electricity to the city. Power “was partially cut off in Zaporizhzhia due to an emergency situation at one of the power facilities,” Kurtev said on Telegram.