Freedom of Russia Legion dismisses Russian military’s victory claims in Belgorod

Russia's Ministry of Defenses has announced the defeat of the Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC) and the Freedom of Russia Legion in the Belgorod region, but pro-Ukraine Russian volunteer fighters deny it.

Rubryka reports, referring to the press service of the Russian defense ministry, and reports of Freedom of Russia and Russian Volunteer Corps on the Telegram messaging app, and the Nova Gazeta Europe.

"The nationalist groups were blocked and defeated in a counter-terrorist operation using aviation strikes, artillery fire, and alert actions of military units patrolling the state border of [Russia's] Western Military District," the Russian defense ministry's statement said.

Igor Konashenkov, a Russian defense ministry spokesperson, reported that the raid allegedly followed intense shelling of the Kozyanka international checkpoint and a number of other civilian objects in the Grayvoron district.

Russian military claims that Russian volunteer fighters whom they did not defeat on Russian territory were pushed back to Ukraine, "where they continued to be subjected to fire until complete elimination." The Russian Ministry of Defense boasts that they have destroyed over 70 people, four combat armored vehicles, and five pickups.

In turn, the Freedom of Russia Legion dismissed the claims and said they continued to liberate the Belgorod region together with the Russian Volunteer Corps, adding that the Russian army was unable to resist the "patriot volunteer fighters."

The Freedom of Russia Legion points out that Russia has no reserves to respond to military crises because all military personnel is dead, injured, or in Ukraine.

"Russia is defenseless. Panic is rapidly spreading throughout the Belgorod region, leading to a partially organized evacuation, but primarily resulting in an uncontrolled mass escape," says the legion.

According to the sources of Nova Gazeta Europe, the Russians have not yet finished military operations. The Russian military has deployed approximately 3,200 fighters and 20 motorized infantry vehicles, as well as about 1,000 troops and 40 units of equipment from army special forces to the region. Employees of Alpha and Vympel, the FSB special operations center, have also been sent to the region.

Background

After the Russian Volunteer Corps and the Freedom of Russia Legion started the raid in Russia's Belgorod region on May 22, local authorities reported a supposed "cleanup" of the territory. Locals are being asked not to return to their homes because the so-called "counter-terrorist operation" is ongoing. It has been confirmed that a woman died during the evacuation. Two injured Russian security force employees remain unreachable.

Ukraine's Defense Intelligence stated that these actions can create a "security zone" to protect Ukrainians. Later, it was reported that Russian fighters allegedly settled on an area of nearly 5 square kilometers.

Russian authorities urgently removed the storage of nuclear warheads from the Belgorod region, and have started gathering employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the Belgorod region in light of the operation.

The United States also commented on the events in the Belgorod region: Ukraine decides for itself how to conduct military operations.

Then Russian media reported that the FSB building in Belgorod was attacked by a drone. On Tuesday, May 23, the Russian authorities announced the "counter-terrorist operation" continued in the Belgorod region. British intelligence reports that Russian guerrillas have attacked the Belgorod region three times in recent days.