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Volunteer Corps fighters made up of Russian citizens during a press conference in May 2023
Photo: Evgeniy Maloletka/dpa
Russian Putin opponents armed by Ukraine have reportedly moved into Russian towns near the Ukrainian border.
“The Freedom of Russia Legion, the Russian Volunteer Corps and the Siberian Battalion have advanced into the Kursk and Belgorod regions as part of a joint operation,” wrote former Russian Duma deputy Ilya Ponomaryov, who lives in Ukraine, on Telegram on Tuesday .
The Defense Ministry in Moscow said several attacks by gunmen from Ukraine had been repelled.
The FSB, the domestic secret service responsible for border security, called reports of an intrusion across the border untrue.
According to Ponomaryov, there are supposed to be fighting in the town of Tyotkino in the Kursk region.
The hamlet of Losovaya Rudka in the Belgorod region is said to be under the control of Putin's opponents.
Videos were shown, among other things, of a tank in a village.
In their video messages, the hooded fighters in Ukrainian uniforms called for people to ignore the presidential election in Russia next Sunday.
Russia claims to have repelled attacks
The Russian Defense Ministry said that the sabotage troops from Ukraine had only shelled villages near the border during the night.
They then advanced with tanks and armored vehicles in three places in the Belgorod region.
The attacks were repelled.
In the morning, the attempted attack on Tyotkino in the Kursk region also failed.
The Russian Defense Ministry said the attackers were forced to retreat with significant losses.
They arrived with tanks and armored vehicles to target several positions on the Russian side of the border.
The Russian troops used rockets, artillery and air power to defend themselves.
The Russian military information, like the information on the Ukrainian side, could not be independently verified.
Ukrainian military intelligence spokesman Andriy Yusov emphasized in comments to Kiev media that the units consisted exclusively of Russian citizens.
"On the territory of the Russian Federation, they act absolutely autonomously, independently and implement their socio-political program," the secret service representative told the Internet portal Ukrayinska Pravda.
The background is the presidential election planned for this week in Russia.
Incumbent Vladimir Putin intends to be confirmed for another six years.
In the spring of 2023, several attempts by Russian opponents of Putin to establish themselves in the Russian-Ukrainian border area failed.
Ukraine has been fending off a Russian invasion for over two years.
asc/Reuers/dpa