Governor: Russia cleansing Belgorod region from Ukrainian "saboteurs"

The Russian Defence Ministry, together with security agencies, continues mopping up the territory of the Grayvoron district of the Belgorod region from the Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group, regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said in his Telegram channel.

"The mopping-up is continuing to return to their homes, I now appeal to the residents of the Grayvoron district not yet," Gladkov said on his Telegram channel.

According to Gazeta.ru, a subversive and reconnaissance group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine had entered the territory of the Grayvoron district the day before. Gladkov stressed that the Russian Armed Forces, the Border Guard Service, the Rosgvardia and the FSB were taking necessary measures to liquidate the saboteurs.

After that, an anti-terrorist operation was imposed on the territory of the Belgorod region.

According to the latest data, eight people were injured in the saboteurs' attack.

The governor of Russia's Belgorod region said on May 22 that a Ukrainian "sabotage group" had entered Russian territory in the Graivoron district bordering Ukraine and was being repelled by Russian security forces, according to Reuters.

Unverified reports of attacks well past midnight on the main town of the region bordering Ukraine were posted on social media. Reports on some channels said the local headquarters of the interior ministry and FSB security service had been targeted.

The Ukrainian outlet Hromadske cited Ukrainian military intelligence as saying two armed Russian opposition groups, the Liberty of Russia Legion and the Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC), were carrying out the attack.

Hromadske said both were composed of Russian nationals committed to fighting the Kremlin authorities. Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak tweeted that Kyiv was "watching the events in the Belgorod region" but was not involved.

The Liberty of Russia Legion is a Ukraine-based Russian militia led by Russian opposition figure Ilya Ponomarev that says it is working inside Russia for Putin's overthrow.