Border Incident in Russia: Intruders from Ukraine Launch Attack

Earlier, the Telegram channel Baza, linked to Russian security services, had broadcast images apparently showing a Ukrainian armored vehicle heading towards the border post. Although other border incidents have been reported, an infiltration involving armored vehicles seems to be unprecedented since the conflict began.

Russia’s Freedom Legion Claims Responsibility for the Attack

A group calling itself Russia’s Freedom Legion, which claims to be composed of Russians collaborating with Ukrainian forces, stated on Twitter that they had “completely liberated” the border town of Kozinka and reached the center of the Graivoron district. “Forward. Russia will be free!” they wrote.

Earlier on Monday, they had released a video showing five heavily armed fighters: “We are Russians, just like you. We are people like you,” one of them said to the camera. “It is time to put an end to the Kremlin’s dictatorship”.

The Ukrainian army was not immediately available for comment. Reuters could not verify the situation in the border towns.

Read also: Russia Accuses Ukraine of Attempted Assassination of Putin by Drones

The Battle for Bakhmut

The reported incursion comes two days after Russia announced it had captured the last districts of the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, Moscow’s first significant victory since last summer following the deadliest ground battle in Europe since World War II.

Moscow claims that the capture of Bakhmut paves the way for new advances in eastern Ukraine. Ukraine believes that its progress on the sides of Russian forces is more significant than its withdrawal within the city, and that Russia will have to weaken its lines elsewhere to send reinforcements to hold Bakhmut.

“Thanks to our movement on the sides – north and south – we are able to destroy the enemy,” said Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar during a televised address on Monday.

Ukrainian forces continued to advance, including south of Bakhmut, Maliar said, although she indicated that the intensity of fighting on the northern side had decreased for now. Reuters could not independently verify the situation in both locations.

The Wagner Group, a private army whose leader Yevgeny Prigozhin mocks generals daily, has pledged to withdraw its troops from Bakhmut and hand it over to regular troops. Ukrainians claim to have pushed the front north and south of Bakhmut more than a kilometer since last week, marking the fastest front progress since the recapture of the southern city of Kherson in November.