The border region of Belgorod, Russia, was the target of an attack on an unprecedented scale on Monday, forcing the evacuation of civilians. Moscow was quick to accuse Kyiv, which blames Russian rebels. According to the Kremlin, this new offensive on its soil aims to “divert attention” from the city of Bakhmout, in eastern Ukraine, which it claims to control.
What there is to know
- The Russian region of Belgorod was the scene of fighting on Monday.
- Accused by Moscow, Kyiv denied any involvement in the clashes. The Freedom for Russia Legion, a group of Russian citizens fighting alongside Ukrainian forces, claimed responsibility for the operation.
- According to the Kremlin, the operation launched on Monday aims to “divert attention” from the capture of Bakhmout.
According to the Russian authorities, “a sabotage and reconnaissance group of the Ukrainian army” entered the district of Grayvoron, located on the Ukrainian border, on Monday.
The governor of the Belgorod region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said the clashes left eight people injured. A video verified by the New York Times also shows clouds of smoke near the city of Belgorod.
SPUTNIK AGENCY PHOTO, SUPPLIED BY REUTERS
Belgorod Region Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov
“The situation remains extremely tense,” Gladkov said on Telegram. A large part of the population has left the territory concerned. »
This is the latest in a series of attacks that have taken place over the past few months in this region bordering Russia – and the first to have reached such a scale.
INFOGRAPHIC THE PRESS
Russian region of Belgorod, targeted by an unprecedented offensive
Accused by Moscow, Kyiv denied any involvement in the offensive, blaming Russian rebels engaged in the Ukrainian army.
The operation was claimed by the Freedom for Russia Legion, a group of Russian citizens fighting alongside Ukrainian forces. “The time has come to put an end to the Kremlin dictatorship,” said a man posing as the group’s spokesperson on Telegram.
Established at the start of the war, the Freedom for Russia Legion has already claimed other actions in the same region with the aim of liberating the Russian people from the regime of Vladimir Putin. “It’s still a very marginal movement,” says specialist Dominique Arel.
According to him, the gains of the offensive launched Monday are less military than symbolic.
[L’offensive] shows a weakness of Russia which is not able to protect its own borders. It’s very embarrassing, very embarrassing for her.
Dominique Arel, holder of the Chair of Ukrainian Studies at the University of Ottawa
In response to the attack, the Russian security service announced the entry into force of an “anti-terrorist” regime which gives the authorities increased powers to carry out armed operations, control civilians or evacuate populations.
“The Russian armed forces, alongside the border guards, the National Guard and the security services, are taking all necessary measures to eliminate the enemy,” said Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov.
Diversion attempt?
According to the Kremlin, the attack aims to “divert attention” from the capture of Bakhmout. The Russian army claimed over the weekend the capture of this key city located in eastern Ukraine after months of bloody fighting.
On Monday, the paramilitary group Wagner, which fought alongside the Russian army, announced that it would withdraw its troops completely by 1er June. For its part, Kyiv did not confirm the loss of Bakhmout, but admitted that it no longer controls “certain buildings” in the city transformed into a field of ruins.
In recent months, the Battle of Bakhmut has become central to the Russian military operation in Ukraine. From a strategic point of view, the city does not however have a high value, notes Dominique Arel.
It seems that the Russian strategy [à Bakhmout] was to exhaust or destroy the vital forces of the Ukrainian army.
Dominique Arel, holder of the Chair of Ukrainian Studies at the University of Ottawa
However, it seems that the opposite happened, “that Russia, finally, fell into its own trap”. Indeed, the losses were very heavy on the Russian side, especially among the troops of the Wagner group.
“This private army of mercenaries was devastated to the point that it could no longer continue”, underlines Dominique Arel.
It is too early to say to what extent the fall of Bakhmout will influence the course of the war, believes Dominique Arel. However, Russia is likely to be weakened at a time when Ukraine plans to launch a major counter-offensive.
“The defense of Bakhmout fulfills its military objectives,” said Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Ganna Maliar.
“The enemy’s offensive potential has been greatly reduced, the enemy has suffered huge losses and we have gained time,” she continued.
Strikes on Dnipro
PHOTO BY THE UKRAINIAN EMERGENCY SERVICE, SUPPLIED BY REUTERS
A firefighter fights a fire in a building in Dnipro following a Russian strike.
Local authorities said they intercepted strikes of an unprecedented scale overnight on the city of Dnipro, in the center-east of the country, with missiles and explosive drones.
Seven people were injured in Dnipro and seven others in the region during the attack carried out using “missiles of different types” and Iranian-made Shahed drones, according to the Ukrainian army.
In the southern Kherson region, a 45-year-old man was killed by shrapnel during a strike, and Russian strikes in the eastern Donetsk region left two dead, according to the Ukrainian authorities.
With Agence France-Presse, The world and the New York Times