MOSCOW – Russia said it had repelled an attempted incursion along its border with Ukraine on Thursday by what it casts as pro-Ukrainian militants, while heavy shelling and a suspected drone attack prompted a partial evacuation of civilians from the area.

Ahead of an expected Ukrainian counter-offensive in the 15-month war, Russia has come under repeated attack in recent days, including a major cross-border incursion and the biggest-ever drone attack on Moscow.

Russia’s Defence Ministry said it had repelled three cross-border attacks on Thursday near the town of Shebekino and accused Ukraine of using what it said were “terrorist formations” to carry out attempted attacks on Russian civilians.

“The selfless actions of Russian servicemen repelled three attacks by Ukrainian terrorist formations,” the Russian ministry said.

“No violations of the state border were allowed.”

Ukraine denies its military is involved in the incursions into Belgorod and says they are conducted by Russian volunteer fighters.

Moscow blames Ukrainian “terrorists” for targeting Russia’s western border. Russian officials say the group of fighters is a proxy run by Ukraine.

Russian army units, border guards and units of the Federal Security Service repelled the first attack at around 0100 GMT (9am Singapore time) as two units with vehicles and tanks tried to penetrate the border near Novaya Tavolzhanka and Shebekino, the Defence Ministry said, adding that there were three attacks from the Ukrainian side.

More than 50 Ukrainian fighters were killed and four armoured vehicles were destroyed, the ministry said. It added that up to 70 fighters, five tanks and four armoured vehicles were involved in the attack.

Border attack

Reuters was able to verify video footage which showed damaged military targets near Shebekino but not the date of the images.

The Kremlin said President Vladimir Putin was being regularly briefed on the situation at the border and noted that Western powers had refrained from condemning the attacks on Russian territory that it said Ukraine had carried out.

“As before, there is not a single word of criticism for the Kyiv regime – or any condemnation,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

The attacks on Belgorod, Mr Peskov said, would have absolutely no impact on the course of what the Kremlin calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine.

Earlier, the Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC), a far-right paramilitary group of ethnic Russians that supports Ukraine, said it was fighting on Russian territory.

The group said it had advanced to the outskirts of Shebekino, though Reuters was unable to verify that independently. The group posted footage of its fighters firing weapons and photographs of armed soldiers inside a building.

Another group, known as the Freedom of Russia Legion, posted footage of armed soldiers and vehicles.

Shelling and drones

In the Belgorod region, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said Ukraine’s armed forces had shelled Shebekino with Soviet-designed Grad 122mm rockets, setting alight a dormitory and damaging an administrative building.

At least nine civilians were injured in shelling across the region, he said.

Video posted on social media showed plumes of smoke rising above a large building in Shebekino as flames licked through the destroyed roof.

Later, a drone blast in the city of Belgorod injured two.

Mr Gladkov said the evacuation of residents to temporary accommodation would resume when the fighting calmed down.

Mr Peskov said: “The main issue, of course, is helping people, supporting the resettlement of those who need or want it.”

Mr Gladkov said hundreds of children, women and the elderly were already leaving the area, adding that he had given Mr Putin an update on the situation. REUTERS