The Freedom of Russia Legion, an anti-Kremlin group, has released a video on the social network Telegram, stating that it has infiltrated Russian territory and is “coming back home.” The group claimed responsibility for the attack and called for Russia’s freedom. The incursion announcement follows reports of Russian forces launching missile and drone attacks on the eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro.
Moscow confirmed that its troops were engaged in battling a Ukrainian “sabotage” group that crossed the border. The Kremlin believes the incursion was an attempt to divert attention from the situation in the city of Bakhmut. The governor of the Belgorod region in Russia, Vyacheslav Gladkov, stated that troops and security service members were taking necessary measures to eliminate the enemy.
Ukraine denied any involvement in the infiltration, with Ukrainian presidential advisor Mikhaylo Podolyak stating that Ukraine is closely monitoring the events in the Belgorod region but is not connected to them. The border region of Belgorod has faced repeated shelling and attacks since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Ukraine’s army reported that Russian forces launched missile and drone attacks on Dnipro, while Ukrainian air defense forces successfully intercepted the drones and destroyed four cruise missiles.
The fighting for the city of Bakhmut continues, despite claims by Russian mercenary group Wagner and the regular army that the city has fallen. Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Ganna Malyar confirmed that Ukrainian troops are still fighting for control of the devastated city. Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin announced that the mercenaries would leave Bakhmut by June 1, handing over control to regular Russian troops. Prigozhin criticized Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov, accusing them of incompetence and causing significant losses.
In the aftermath of the attacks, the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine’s southeast experienced a power cut, marking the seventh time since the Russian occupation in March 2022. Ukraine’s state grid operator confirmed that the power plant switched to power from the Ukrainian energy system and assured that there is enough electricity to meet consumer needs. However, high-voltage lines in the Dnipro region were damaged due to the recent strikes. The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is the largest in Europe, consisting of six reactors.
SOURCE: Ref – AFP.
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