A terror alert has been declared in the city.
(Photo: AP)
Belgorod, Kyiv According to officials, many residents have fled their homes after gunmen entered the Russian border region of Belgorod near Ukraine. The governor of the region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, spoke of at least eight people injured. There were no dead civilians. He also issued a terror alert on Monday evening.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky returned to his home country after the summits in Saudi Arabia and Japan. Air alarms were triggered again in several areas on Tuesday night.
The governor spoke of a tense situation in the evening. The border region came under fire on Monday morning. According to Gladkow, the small town of Graiworon and at least two villages were affected. Several residents were taken to the hospital with injuries. There was also talk of damaged houses.
It is unclear what exactly happened and whether the operation was still running that night. Gladkow wrote that the military, the FSB domestic secret service, which is also responsible for border protection, and the National Guard are deployed. Details were yet to be communicated. Details are expected to be announced on Tuesday.
Russia began its aggressive war against Ukraine 15 months ago and is repeatedly shelling towns and cities in the neighboring country. In recent months, however, Russian regions near the border have also complained about increasing shelling from the Ukrainian side. There were also explosions at military bases. The governor said after the incident that much of the population had evacuated the area. The city of Graivoron once had a population of 6,000 and the adjacent county more than 25,000. However, it is unclear how many residents in the border region have already left their homes in recent months because of the war.
Who is behind the shelling?
Governor Gladkov blamed a sabotage group of the Ukrainian military. Kyiv itself denied any involvement. The Russian Volunteer Corps and the Freedom Legion of Russia, made up of Russian citizens, claimed on Telegram that their fighters were responsible.
You could see how they allegedly also captured military vehicles. In the war, both units fight on the side of Ukraine. However, the government in Kiev has denied its involvement in the campaign.
It was unclear how many gunmen were killed. There was talk of deaths in Russian Telegram channels. The “Legion of Freedom of Russia” announced on Ukrainian television that it wanted to create a “demilitarized zone along the border”.
This information could not be independently verified. The units called on the population not to resist. “We are not your enemies.” Freedom is near, according to Telegram.
Selenski expects more weapons
After his return on Monday, President Zelensky expressed confidence that more weapons would be delivered to his country. “There will be more weapons for our warriors,” said the head of state in a video recorded on the train. “Every time there are more results for Ukraine: more anti-aircraft, artillery, armor, ammunition, training.”
After his return on Monday, President Zelensky expressed confidence that more weapons would be delivered to his country.
(Photo: IMAGO/ZUMA Wire)
At the summit of the Arab League countries, Zelensky had campaigned for support in the defensive struggle. At the G7 summit of the largest economies in Japan, he then received a commitment in principle from the USA for the delivery of F-16 fighter jets.
Discussion about arms delivery in Germany
The CDU defense expert Roderich Kiesewetter spoke out in favor of the delivery of German Taurus cruise missiles to the Ukraine. “Ukraine’s partners must now go “all-in” and provide Ukraine with everything that Ukraine can use in combined arms combat and is permissible under international law,” he told the editorial network Germany (RND/Tuesday).
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin arrived in China on Tuesday night.
(Photo: IMAGO/ITAR-TASS/ Sipa USA)
The Taurus guided missiles with a range of up to 500 kilometers could be a “very helpful contribution from Germany”. The CDU chairman on the foreign affairs committee said the cruise missiles would bring massive added value to Ukraine and enable “blows against the Russian military infrastructure far behind the front lines”.
Russia’s prime minister holds talks in China
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin arrived in China on Tuesday night. This was reported by the state agency Tass. In Shanghai he first wants to take part in a Russian-Chinese business forum.
Talks with the Chinese leadership are then planned in Beijing. China is Russia’s largest trading partner and is not participating in the sanctions imposed by the West against Moscow in the wake of the Ukraine war.
BND sees no cracks in the Putin system
Has the war against Ukraine weakened Russian President Vladimir Putin? The President of the Federal Intelligence Service, Bruno Kahl, sees no signs of this. There are no discernible cracks in the Putin system, said the head of Germany’s foreign intelligence service on Monday in front of the Federal Academy for Security Policy (BAKS) in Berlin. Despite isolated criticism – for example, as far as ammunition deliveries are concerned – there are no signs that the system is shaking or imploding. However, this cannot be ruled out either.
What will be important on Tuesday
The defense ministers of the EU states are discussing joint military support for Ukraine. Among other things, it is expected that the status of ammunition deliveries to the country attacked by Russia will be discussed.
This is how the Handelsblatt reports on the Ukraine war:
The military situation around Bachmut remains unclear. At the weekend, Russia claimed to have the former 70,000-inhabitant city under control. According to the Ukrainian government, Ukrainian soldiers continue to defend themselves against the attacks there.
More: Current news on the development of the Ukraine war can be found in our news blog