Russia has claimed that its artillery has taken out Ukrainian troops advancing towards the Russian town of Shebekino in the Belgorod region bordering Ukraine.
But responsibility for raids on the area has so far been claimed by self-styled Russian anti-Putin partisans, with Ukraine denying direct involvement.
The footage purports to show Russian forces thwarting what they claimed was a “terrorist act” by the “Kyiv regime”.
The images were obtained from the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) says on Thursday, 1st June, along with a statement claiming: “On the morning of 1st June this year, as a result of the competent and selfless actions of the units of the ‘Western’ group of troops, a new attempt by the Kyiv regime to carry out a terrorist act against the civilian population of the city of Shebekino, Belgorod Region, was thwarted.”
The Russian MoD also claimed: “At 03.57, after an hour of intense artillery shelling of the Shebekino international automobile checkpoint on the Russian-Ukrainian border and residential areas of the Novaya Tavolzhanka settlement, the enemy, consisting of three armoured combat vehicles, four pickup trucks and 30 militants, attempted to attack in the direction of Volchansk, international automobile checkpoint ‘Shebekino’.”
The MoD continued: “Artillery fire from the Western Military District inflicted a fire defeat on the enemy, as a result of which an armoured combat vehicle and up to 10 militants were destroyed. The enemy retreated in the direction of Pletenevka.
“In addition, a terrorist group of 15 militants tried to penetrate the territory of the Russian Federation along the left bank of the Siversky Donets River in the direction of Gatishchevo, Novaya Tavolzhanka. Ukrainian terrorists were blown up in a minefield, and their remnants were destroyed by Russian artillery.
“At the same time, another Ukrainian terrorist group, consisting of 20 militants and two armoured combat vehicles, advanced along the right bank of the Siversky Donets towards Novaya Tavolzhanka. In the course of a small-arms battle with units covering the State Border of the Western Military District, it was dispersed.
“The enemy lost eight militants and an armoured fighting vehicle.
“At 04.45, the subdivisions of the state border cover of the Western Military District were reinforced with an armoured group.
“At 04.57, two air strikes were carried out on the territory of Ukraine by the army aviation of the Russian Aerospace Forces on enemy reserves in the areas of Ogurtsovo and Gatishche.
“From 06.05 to 06.45, Ukrainian terrorist formations, having increased their efforts, made another attempt to break into the territory of the Russian Federation from the Pletnevka and Volchansk regions. In total, up to 70 militants, five tanks, four armoured combat vehicles, seven pickup trucks and one Kamaz took part in the attack.
“From 06.10 to 06.50, the enemy was attacked by heavy flamethrower systems, rocket troops and artillery of the Western Military District, as a result of which the enemy, after suffering losses, withdrew in the direction of Zhovtneve.
“During the battle, Ukrainian terrorists lost 12 militants, two armoured combat vehicles and a pickup truck.
“From 07:00 to 09:50, retreating terrorists and enemy reserves were hit by nine air strikes by the Russian Aerospace Forces in the areas of the settlements of Ogurtsovo, Pletenevka, Staritsa and Volchansk.
“In total, more than 50 Ukrainian terrorists, four armoured combat vehicles, a combat vehicle of the BM-21 Grad multiple launch rocket system, and one pickup truck were destroyed in the border area from Ukraine.”
It is unclear which aspects of the above the footage purports to show, but it appears to show rockets being fired and explosions taking place in a rural, forested area.
We have not been able to independently verify the claims or the footage.
Russia invaded Ukraine on 24th February 2022 in what the Kremlin is still calling a “special military operation”. Today marks the 464th day of the full-scale war.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that between 24th February 2022 and 2nd June 2023, Russia had lost about 208,910 personnel, 3,819 tanks, 7,490 armoured combat vehicles, 3,501 artillery units, 575 multiple launch rocket systems, 335 air defence systems, 313 warplanes, 298 helicopters, 3,137 drones, 1,117 cruise missiles, 18 warships, 6,267 motor vehicles and fuel tankers, and 465 units of special equipment.
Russia has claimed that its casualties have been much lower but provides infrequent updates on its latest figures.
The Ukrainian authorities in the capital Kyiv have said that three people including a child have been killed and a dozen people have been injured after a missile attack on the city hit a block of flats, two schools and a medical facility for children.
The governor of Russia’s Belgorod region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, has said that at least nine civilians have been injured in shelling.
He accused the Ukrainian Armed Forces of hitting the town of Shebekino with ‘Grad’ rockets, but responsibility for the raid has been claimed by Russian anti-Putin partisans.
Ukraine has reportedly imposed sanctions on Alexander Lebedev, a former KGB intelligence officer whose son Evgeny Lebedev is a Member of the House of Lords in the United Kingdom, over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The sanctions were reportedly put in place last October by the National Security and Defence Council in Kyiv as a result of a decree signed by President Volodymyr Zelensky, it emerged on Thursday.
Zelensky has said that Kyiv wants a “clear” decision to be made regarding its future in NATO when the organisation’s members meet in Vilnius, in Lithuania, next month.
NATO foreign ministers met in Oslo, in Norway, to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine, among other issues. Gabrielius Landsbergis, Lithuania’s Foreign Minister, said it was time for members to determine how Ukraine can become a member.
Tobias Billstrom, Sweden’s Foreign Minister, said in Oslo that the time had also come for Turkey and Hungary to ratify Sweden’s NATO membership bid.
He said: “We have fulfilled all our commitments.”
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that he would travel to Turkey to discuss Sweden’s membership of the alliance.
