Russian Border Towns Suddenly Hit With A Multiple Ukrainian Attacks

Belgorod, Kursk and Bryansk oblasts in Russia have all been hit in recent weeks as Ukrainian forces disrupt logistics and supply lines - as well as serve notice to Russian troops and invasion supporters that the invasion of Ukraine is not going well for Russia - and has consequences at home. JL

Howard Altman reports in The Drive:

Ukraine continues to strike back across the border. Russian governors say their regions came under attack by Ukrainian fires, drones, and partisans. Though not causing the same widespread damage as the missile and drone strikes on Ukraine's civilian infrastructure, these attacks have created enough concern that authorities resettled nearly 4,000 residents of Belgorod Oblast and were considering resettling some residents of the country's Bryansk and Kursk oblasts for the same reason. As Ukraine eyes a counteroffensive in coming weeks, these attacks will continue as a reminder to Russians that their invasion has consequences at home. 

Though far from wreaking the level of devastation of Russian attacks on its soil, Ukraine continues to strike back across the border. Russian governors say their regions came under attack by Ukrainian fires, drones, and a partisan group aligned with Kyiv.

Belgorod Oblast has come under attack several times this week, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on his Telegram channel.

“An unmanned aerial vehicle was shot down by an air defense system in the Valuysky urban district,” he wrote Thursday. “There were no casualties or damage, its remains fell into the field. The task force is surveying the area."

 

The drone, a Poseidon H10 used by Ukraine for reconnaissance and correcting fires, was found about 12.5 miles from the border.

This Ukrainian Poseidon H10 drone was shot down in Belgorod Oblast, its governor said. (Vyacheslav Gladkov Telegram photo)

 

On Wednesday, the village of Novaya Tavolzhanka, Shebekinsky district, “fell under the mortar shelling of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” Gladkov stated. “There were no casualties. The administration of the rural settlement promptly evacuated the residents of the shelled streets in armored cars to a safe distance.”

Gladkov said that according to preliminary information, three private households and three cars were damaged by shell fragments in that incident. Windows were broken and facades and roofs were damaged as well.

Belgorod Oblast Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov claims houses were damaged by Ukrainian mortar fire on Wednesday. (Vyacheslav Gladkov Telegram photo)

 

The Shebekinsky urban district also came under attack the day before, said Gladkov.

“In Novaya Tavolzhanka, 2 explosive devices were dropped from a drone. There were no casualties or damage. The shells hit the gardens, thank God that at that time none of the civilians were cleaning the territory.”

Meanwhile, the governor of Russia's Bryansk Oblast on Thursday said members of the Russian Volunteer Corps once again crossed the border.

“Today, the border department of the FSB of Russia for the Bryansk region thwarted an attempt to penetrate the territory of the Russian Federation near the village of Sluchovsk, Pogarsky district, of a Ukrainian DRG [sabotage and reconnaissance group] in the amount of 20 people,” Bryansk Gov. Alexander Bogomaz said on his Telegram channel Thursday. “Units of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, together with units of the border troops, inflicted a fire defeat on the enemy.”

The Russian Volunteer Corps disputed Bogomaz's version of events on its Telegram channel.

“Today the soldiers of the Russian Volunteer Corps visited the Bryansk Region again!” the organization claimed. “Despite the fact that Governor Bogomaz has already reported on ‘successfully repulsing the attack of Ukrainian DRGs,’ we again catch him in a lie! In addition to performing combat missions, the RDK fighters were also able to communicate with local residents, hand them our leaflets and asked them to take cover during the hostilities. The liberation struggle in Russia is gaining momentum!”

Last month, an apparent infiltration there by the group spurred Russian President Vladimir Putin to publicly condemn its actions.

Ukrainian forces “today carried out another act of terror, committed another crime, infiltrated the border area and opened fire on civilians," Putin said on March 2, according to the official Russian TASS news agency. “They saw it was a civilian car, saw that civilians and children were inside…they opened fire on them."

Both oblasts, which border Ukraine, have come under frequent attacks.

Since April 2022, there have been multiple reports of Ukraine's armed forces striking at targets in Belgorod, which lies just on the opposite side of the country's northeastern border.

Bryansk, which was hit by a Ukrainian drone attack on Tuesday according to Bogomaz, has also been a frequent target of Ukrainian attacks, as we have written about before.

Though not causing the same widespread damage as the missile and drone strikes on Ukraine's cities and civilian infrastructure, these attacks have created enough concern that in February, authorities in Moscow announced they resettled nearly 4,000 residents of Belgorod Oblast and were considering resettling some residents of the country's Bryansk and Kursk oblasts for the same reason.

Even as Ukraine eyes a counteroffensive in the coming weeks, these kinds of attacks will no doubt continue, serving as a reminder to Russians that their full-on invasion has consequences at home as well.