Pro-Ukraine Russian Partisan Plans To Leave Prisoners To Kyiv

Ukrainian military illustration. (Source: President.gov.ua)

JAKARTA - A pro-Ukraine Russian partisan group on Sunday said it had arrested several soldiers in a cross-border attack on southern Russia and would hand them over to Ukrainian authorities.

The Russian Volunteer Corps made the claim in a video statement released on Telegram following an attack on Russia's Belgorod region.

The Corps, along with fighters from the Russian Freedom Legion, has claimed responsibility for a spate of attacks within Russian territory, including last week when Moscow said two civilians were killed in fighting.

The one-minute 26-second video clip shows what looks like dozens of Russian soldiers being carried away, with two of them lying in hospital beds. The Russian Freedom Church also released the same video on the Telegram channel.

The Corps previously said it had detained two soldiers. A man from the group, who did not name him, said more Russian soldiers were arrested throughout the day.

Belgorod governor Vyacheslav Gladkov previously agreed to meet the group if the soldiers were still alive. Corps member in the video said Gladkov never appeared at a predetermined meeting place.

"We have decided the fate of these people. They will be transferred to Ukraine for exchange procedures," the man said.

Previously, Ukraine and Russia had exchanged prisoners regularly.

The man said he had just returned from the Russian city of Novaya Tavolzhanka, where Gladkov had previously reported fighting with what he called the "Ukrainebot" group.

Separately, Russia's Defense Ministry said its forces had broken down the group, and expelled the fighters back to Ukraine.

Gladkov then posted a brief statement saying he had held talks with local authorities. However, he did not mention any plans for a meeting with members of the group.

Ukraine denies direct involvement in the cross-border attack, but has called it a consequence of the Russian invasion, and predicts a revival of what it calls a force against Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"These Russians are taking up arms beyond their will. They will soon understand all the evil and injustice of the war waged by Putin," said a Corps member who did not name him in the video.

Earlier, Gladkov said Ukrainian forces continued to attack its territory overnight after two people were killed the night before and hundreds of children were evacuated from the border.