Governor Belgorod Says Ukrainian Sabotage Group Enters Russian Territory, President Zelensky's Advisor Denies

JAKARTA - The governor of the Russian Belgorod region said on Monday Ukraine's sabotage group had entered Russian territory in the Graivoron district bordering Ukraine, although later it was successfully beaten back by Russian troops.

However, Ukrainian outlet Hromadske quoted Kyiv military intelligence as saying two groups of Russia's armed opposition, Russia's Freedom ofCE and the Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC), both of whom consisted of Russian nationals, had carried out the attack.

The Telegram Baza channel, which has ties to Russia's security services, published aerial footage showing a Ukrainian armored vehicle moving forward at the Graivoron border checkpoint.

Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russian President Vladimir Putin had been notified of the incident, while work was underway to expel "bobotage", the state-run news agency RIA Novosti reported.

Belgorod governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said in Telegram, Russian soldiers, border guards, presidential guards to the FSB security service were involved in the operation. He said at least six people were injured and three houses and administrative buildings were damaged.

Baza said there were indications of fighting in three settlements along the main road to Russia. Meanwhile, the Telegram channel "Open Belgorod" said electricity and water had been cut off to several villages.

A group calling itself the Russian Freedom Legion - a Ukrainian-based Russian militia led by Russian opposition figure Ilya Ponomarev, who said they were moving within Russia for the overthrow of President Vladimir Putin said on Twitter they had "completely freed up" Kozinka's border city. It said their unit had reached the center of the Graivoron District, further east.

"Continue. Russia will be free!" he wrote.

The group also released a video showing five fully armed fighters.

"We are Russians, like you. We are people like you. We want our children to grow up peacefully," said someone facing the camera.

"It's time to end the Kremlin dictatorship," he continued.

Separately, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensy's adviser, Mykhailo Podolyak in a tweet denied his party was linked to the incident.

"Ukraine watched events in Russia's Belgorod region with interest and studied the situation, but had nothing to do with it," he wrote.

"As you know, tanks are sold at any Russian military store, and underground guerrilla groups consist of Russian nationals," he continued.

Meanwhile, Hromadske quoted Ukrainian military intelligence spokesman Andriy Yusov as saying the operation would create a "security zone" to protect Ukrainians from Russian attacks.

The Kremlin said the attack was aimed at diverting attention from the city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, which it claimed had been seized by Russian troops as a whole after more than nine months of fierce fighting.

"We fully understand the purpose of such a diversion - to distract from Bakhmut's direction and minimize the political effect of Bakhmut's defeat to Ukraine," Peskov said.

RVC was founded last August by Denis Kapustin, a Russian nationalist based in Ukraine, announcing they were joining the Russian Liberty Legion, which also calls himself the Russian Freedom Legion in English, on May 17 on the Telegram channel.

RVC has fought on various fronts in Ukraine along with Ukrainian forces, saying it has carried out at least three attacks on Bryansk territory since March.