Russia claims no ‘active combat’ in Belgorod region, Ukraine says otherwise

The governor of Russia’s Belgorod Oblast, Vyacheslav Gladkov, has said there are no hostilities on the territory of the region just hours after Ukrainian military intelligence said it was “now an area of active combat actions.”

In a post on Telegram published late on March 14, Gladkov claimed he had taken a tour of villages in the area where several pro-Ukrainian military units comprised of Russian citizens had advanced after crossing the border from Ukraine earlier this week.

Gladkov claimed that the battle is taking place outside the Belgorod Oblast borders. He also said that the village of Kozinka had “suffered greatly, the destruction was very serious.”

Residents in the areas affected had been taken to a “safe place,” according to Gladkov.

The Russian governor’s comments were contradicted by a spokesperson of Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR), Andrii Yusov, who told national television just a few hours earlier that Kursk and Belgorod regions are “now an area of active combat actions.”

“As stated by the volunteers and rebels, we are talking about Russian citizens who, having no other options, are defending their civil right with arms against the (Russian President Vladimir) Putin regime.”

Unconfirmed videos posted to social media on the morning of March 15 appear to show air raid sirens, fires and explosions in the Belgorod region continuing.

What do we know about the ‘Siberian Battalion’ that reportedly crossed into Russia?

Editor’s Note: The Kyiv Independent doesn’t provide the full names of soldiers mentioned in the story to protect them and their families from persecution in Russia. They are identified by callsigns. KYIV OBLAST – In the early hours of March 12, Russian state media sounded the alarm. A number of Ukr…

The Kyiv IndependentEmmanuelle Chaze