Ukraine-Based Russian Opposition Groups Attempt to Invade Belgorod

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Facts

  • Three Ukraine-based Russian rebel groups say they've entered Russia's Belgorod and Kursk regions to help fight Russia. The groups are the Freedom of Russia Legion (FRL), the Siberian Battalion (SB), and the Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK).1
  • Referring to them as Ukrainian 'sabotage groups' Russian official media reported that border guards stopped multiple attempts to invade Belgorod beginning Mar. 10. Then, at around 3 a.m. Moscow time on Mar. 12, they tried to enter three locations simultaneously — Odnorobovka, Nekhoteyevka, and Spodaryushino.2
  • The FRL and SB groups confirmed their involvement on their Telegram accounts, posting that their goal was to 'take our land away from the [Putin] regime, centimeter by centimeter.' The RDK also appeared to confirm their crossing into Russian territory in its account.3
  • While the FRL said it wanted to free Russia 'from Putin's dictatorship,' the SB condemned Russia's presidential election as 'fiction,' claiming, 'You can really change your life for the better only with weapons in your hands.' The groups say they've overtaken two villages.1
  • Russia said that throughout the attack on Belgorod, 60 members of the pro-Ukraine groups were killed, with five tanks and an armored personnel vehicle destroyed. It added that one Russian woman and one man were injured during the fighting, as well as damage to buildings and a power line.2
  • In Kursk, students were switched to virtual classes due to the paramilitary attacks, with the region's governor confirming that it had been hit by Ukrainian drones overnight and the border village of Tettkino was bombed later on.3

Sources: 1BBC News, 2TASS.com and 3CNBC.

Narratives

  • Anti-Russia narrative, as provided by UKRINFORM. Not only have these freedom fighters bravely entered Russian territory, but they've also taken control of multiple border towns, including Tettkino and Lozovaya Rudka. This attack has been more than successful, forcing Putin's forces to flee and leave behind heavy military equipment.
  • Pro-Russia narrative, as provided by RT International. These were not rogue Russian opposition groups but rather members of the Ukrainian military supported by Ukrainian tanks and armored vehicles. Despite this being a fully-stocked military operation, Russian forces were able to deter each and every one of these invasions, taking out dozens of Ukrainian soldiers and their vehicles.

Predictions