The Kremlin said on Friday it would take “measures to prevent” incursions by “Ukrainian nationalists” into Russian territory after two civilians were killed in the Bryansk border area the day before. Kiev has denied any responsibility and spoke of a “deliberate provocation” by Moscow to “justify” the war. But the so-called Russian Volunteer Corps, which opposed President Vladimir Putin who will fight alongside the Ukrainians, claimed the move threatens to escalate the conflict.
Putin canceled a planned trip to the Caucasus to stay informed, later claiming those responsible for the attack had been “neo-Nazis and terrorists” who “invaded the border area and opened fire on civilians”. Russian media highlighted the story of a boy who, shot in the chest, allegedly helped save two girls, when the car they were traveling in with an adult was attacked – and the adult was killed. Several dozen “saboteurs” were reportedly driven back to Ukraine and bombed.
This Friday, the National Security Council met to discuss the issue, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying “measures” will be taken to prevent “similar events in the future.” The situation will be particularly embarrassing to Putin, who earlier this week ordered security to be strengthened along the border after several drone strikes – one of which crashed just 100 kilometers from Moscow. Security would be handled by the intelligence services of the FSB, in which
However, Mikhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, denounced a “deliberate provocation” on Moscow’s part. “The Russian Federation wants to frighten its people and justify an attack on another country and increasing poverty after a year of war. The partisan movement in the Russian Federation is getting stronger and more aggressive. Fear your partisans…”, wrote on Twitter. Kiev had warned that Moscow was planning “provocations” in the border area
This Friday it returned to charge. “Explosions at critical facilities; unidentified drones attacking regions of the Russian Federation; clashes between gangs; partisans attacking populated areas – all these are direct consequences of the loss of control within the Russian Federation. And the consequences of war.. Ukraine is not involved in internal conflicts in the Russian Federation,” he wrote on the same social network.
Ukraine’s new denial of responsibility came after Russia’s Volunteer Corps claimed the action – with videos posted on social media showing men in military gear in the towns of Lyubichane and Shushany. One of the men in the video will be the leader, Denis Nikitin, 38, a prominent far-right activist and hooligan. He has been living in Ukraine since 2017. Putin used the threat of neo-Nazis to launch the “special military operation” a year ago.
The group, which was formed in the summer of 2022, told Telegram that they entered the Bryansk region “to show compatriots that there is hope, that a free Russian people can fight against the regime with weapons in their hands.” However, they denied attacking civilians. It is not clear whether they acted with Kiev’s approval, as they describe themselves as “a formation of Russian volunteers who are part of the Armed Forces of Ukraine” – not officially confirmed. But the attack could be used by Moscow to expand the conflict.
Ukrainians are not hesitant to claim actions in Russian-held territories, but with regard to cross-border attacks, the answers are vague. The Allies have always marked weapons with the indication that they should not be used offensively against Russia (only defensively), to prevent Moscow from using the excuse to drag other countries into the conflict. Keeping the war on the Ukrainian border would have been one of the conditions US military leaders would have placed on President Joe Biden so that he would guarantee support for Ukraine.
Source: DN
