Kremlin: Putin Briefed on Ukraine’s Attempt to Infiltrate Into Russia's Belgorod Region

©Sputnik / Mikhail Voskresensky

Earlier, two civilians were killed and another one was injured as a result of a Ukrainian shelling of a village in Russia's Belgorod region.

The Russian Defense Ministry, the Federal Security Service (FSB) and the Border Service reported to President Vladimir Putin about an attempt to break into the Belgorod region by Ukrainian saboteurs, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday.

"The Ministry of Defense, the FSB and the Border Service reported to the Russian president ... about an attempt by a Ukrainian sabotage group to break into the Belgorod region. Work is underway to push them out of the Russian territory and destroy this sabotage group. There are enough forces and resources on the spot," Peskov said.

The purpose of sabotage acts, like the one in the Belgorod region, is to divert attention from what is going on in the city of Bakhmut and to minimize the political effect of the loss of city by Kiev, the official added.

Earlier in the day, Belgorod region Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said that a Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group had infiltrated the territory of the Grayvoronsky district of the region.

"A sabotage and reconnaissance group of the Ukrainian armed forces infiltrated the territory of the Grayvoronsky district. The armed forces of Russia, together with the border service, the Russian Guard and the FSB, are taking the necessary measures to eliminate the enemy," Gladkov wrote on Telegram.

¿ The governor of the Belgorod region said three people were hospitalized with shrapnel wounds and a kindergarten caught fire after shelling in the Grayvoronsky district. The governor added that he would report on the details.

Ukraine has carried out several attacks on the Russian regions along its border, including the Belgorod region, amid Moscow’s special military operation. In February, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine, after the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR) appealed for help in defending themselves against Ukrainian attacks.

IN BRIEF: What we know so far about Ukrainian sabotage attack on Belgorod Region

A Ukrainian sabotage group infiltrated the Grayvoron District of the Belgorod Region on Monday, regional Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said.

According to the latest data, the Russian military and security forces are taking measures to eliminate the enemy and are driving it away from the Russian territory. Russian President Vladimir Putin has been briefed about the situation.

TASS has put together the highlights of what has been reported about the attack as of now.

© Vincenzo Circosta/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

The circumstances of the attack

• The infiltration by Ukrainian saboteurs was reported by Gladkov. He said the Russian military, border guards and the servicemen of the National Guard and the Federal Security Service are taking "necessary measures to eliminate the enemy."



• Before that, the governor said two people were injured in a shelling of the village of Glotovo of the Grayvoron District. He said one of the casualties, a woman, who suffered wounds from a mine explosion, had been taken to a hospital in serious condition. The other person, a man, was in a condition of medium gravity.



• The Kremlin later confirmed that a Ukrainian sabotage group had tried to force its way into the Belgorod Region, and the group is now being driven away from the Russian territory and eliminated.



• Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there are sufficient forces and equipment on the scene to combat the saboteurs. He said Putin had been briefed about the incident.

The Kremlin’s assessment

• Peskov said the goal of the sabotage attack is "to divert attention from the Bakhmut area and reduce to a minimum the political effect from the loss of Artyomovsk by the Ukrainian side." The Russian Defense Ministry said into the night of May 21 that the town in Donbass had been fully liberated.

Previous attacks

• The Russian Defense Ministry has regularly reported stopping Ukrainian sabotage attacks in Russia’s new regions: The Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics and the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions.



• The previous sabotage attack took place in the Bryansk Region on March 2. Two people were killed, and a boy with the date of birth in 2012 was wounded at the time. The boy was able to lead two girls that were nearby out of harm’s way.



• Putin then called the attack on villages outside Bryansk a terrorist attack.