Russian Anti-Putin Soldiers Force Local Villages to Evacuate After Repeated Attacks
May 23 2023, Published 7:00 p.m. ET
At least nine Russian villages have been ordered to evacuate by their local governor after suffering repeated attacks at the hands of pro-Ukraine, anti-Vladimir Putin Russian militia members, RadarOnline.com has learned.
The skirmishes began on Friday, May 19, continued around the Belgorod area on Monday, May 22, and moved along the Ukrainian-Russian border on Tuesday, May 23, leaving many wounded and prompting citizens to flee their homes.
The Russian government condemned the rogue fighters' actions and promised to investigate the attacks as terrorism, according to Vice, however, the militia has continued their path and is currently believed to be preparing themselves to fight off a counterattack.
Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov confirmed 12 civilians had been wounded at the time, but noted, "There are no civilian deaths to date."
"All necessary actions on the part of law enforcement agencies are being carried out," he continued. "We are waiting for the completion of the counter-terrorist operation that was announced yesterday."
The group attacking the villages reportedly consists of Ukraine-supporting Russian soldiers who are armed with weapons, tanks and other armored vehicles. Following an onslaught on a Russian border post near Kozinka, Ukrainian intelligence believed a nationalist group that goes by the name of the Russian Volunteer Corps were the ones responsible.
"Yes, today the Russian Volunteer Corps and the Freedom of Russia Legion, which consist of citizens of the Russian Federation, have launched an operation to liberate these territories of the Belgorod region from the so-called Putin regime and push back the enemy in order to create a certain security zone to protect the Ukrainian civilian population," Andriy Yusov, who serves as a spokesperson for Ukraine’s military intelligence, said in a recent statement.
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The Freedom of Russia Legion released their own anti-Putin statement on Monday, May 22.
"We are Russians just like you. We are people just like you," they said in a video. "We want our children to grow up in peace and be free people, so that they can travel, study and just be happy in a free country."
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