Russian Insurrectionists

"From the first day of the war, my heart, the heart of a real Russian man, a real Christian, told me that I had to be here to defend the people of Ukraine."

"It was a very difficult process[joining the Ukrainian effort]. It took me several months to finally join the ranks of the defenders of Ukraine."

Pseudonym "Caesar"

 

"We can confirm that this operation is carried out by Russian citizens."

In Ukraine these units are part of defense and security forces. In Russia they are acting as independent entities."

Andriy Yusov, Ukrainian Defense Intelligence representative

"[Those responsible for the cross border-raid in Belgorod are Russians who want to get rid of] the darkness [in their country; there is not any involvement from Kyiv]."

"They are Russians, it is their country and they have the right to be there."

"There are some Russians who are on the side of the light and who went to deal with the darkness that exists in Russia now."

Ukrainian National Security Advisor Oleksiy Danilov

Smoke seen over the Belgorod region following the reported attack

"Ukraine is watching the events in the Belgorod region of Russia with interest and studying the situation, but it has nothing to do with it."

"As you know, tanks are sold at any Russian military store, and underground guerrilla groups are composed of Russian citizens."

Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to Volodymyr Zelenskyy

 

"The big question is was Ukraine in any way behind it, and if they weren't behind it, did they know about it."

"Or was it as much a surprise to them as it was to the Kremlin?"

"I think the Zelenskyy government is too clever to do this." 

"[In one way it's similar to the drone attack on Moscow - 'it's humiliating'."

"On the other hand they kind of get the benefit of saying look this is how we are under attack by the Ukrainians and they want to destroy Russia."

Defence expert, professor Michael Clarke

Still from a video of a helicopter seen releasing flares

And of course Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has no wish at all to embarrass Moscow, much less his arch-enemy Vladimir Putin. And nor would he intentionally, and too obviously seek to annoy his international supporters supporting him with weaponry in his country's existential defence against the Russian military invading his country, destroying its cities, killing its civilian population by the thousands and its servicemen by the tens of thousands. The U.S. warned him against mounting incursions into Russian territory, not to use long-range missiles to strike within Russia, thus risking 'escalation' and a wider war.

So, no, of course Ukrainian forces refrain from crossing the border, wouldn't think of attacking Russian border towns, and certainly would never be so bold as to strike the heart of Russia in Moscow itself. The Kremlin? Unthinkable! The fact is, the Russian full-scale invasion is a military travesty, the Putin dictatorship an intolerable blemish on international standards of sovereignty, and the brutishness of the ongoing attacks on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine constituting war crimes an offence against humanity.

Ukrainian forces, any time they feel they have the initiative must restrain themselves, objectively respecting Russia's sovereign territory despite Russia having claimed Crimea and the Donbas as Russian territory in its expansionist Soviet-style power structure renascent. However, if there are dissident Russian groups willing and able to mount their own opposition to their country's leadership they must do so without Ukraine's intervention, encouragement, assistance. 

And reports of Russian volunteers conducting combat operations driving tanks and armoured vehicles into Russia, in the process "capturing" villages and declaring a new republic, Ukraine can cheer them on but remain detached. The incident is not to be described as Ukraine-backed forces bringing the war to Russian soil; these are Russians declaring their opposition to Russian leadership carried out by anti-Kremlin fighters from the Russian Freedom Legion and Russian Volunteer Corps, both claiming links to Kyiv's foreign fighters.

According to initial reports out of Ukraine's military intelligence, the two battalions of volunteers crossed into the Belgorod region to "create a security zone" meant to protect Ukrainian civilians from Russian attacks. Confusing, unnecessarily complex and contradictory? War is like that. On the part of Russia, officials laid claim of the "Ukrainian forces" capturing four frontier settlements amidst reports of heavy area fighting. Social media footage showed a tank and multiple armoured vehicles with Ukrainian tactical markings approaching the Grayvoron border-control post, damaged at an earlier point by shelling.

Ukrainian social-media sources showed an image of three soldiers declaring a new "Belgorod's People's Republic". Rivalling in reverse and mocking the Donetsk Peoples Republic and the Luhansk Peoples Republic in the Donbas. The Russian Volunteer Corps called on Russian frontier region residents to remain at home and "not to resist". While the Russian Freedom Legion called on Russians to rise up and defeat Vladimir Putin: "The time has come to put an end to the Kremlin dictatorship. Be brave and have no fear because we are coming home."

"We perfectly understand the point of such acts of sabotage -- to divert attention from the Bakhmut front line."

"Work is underway to push out Ukrainian saboteurs from Russian territory and destroy the sabotage group."

"There are enough resources and manpower on the ground."

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov

 

"Russian nations, the [RFL and RDK] have claimed responsibility for those actions."

"I think we can only welcome those decisive steps by opposition-minded Russians who have taken up arms to fight the criminal regime of Vladimir Putin that has usurped power in Russia."

Andriy Yusov, spokesman, Ukraine military intelligence 

For the time being, the Belgorod effort has been put on hold. Russia's response in meeting the raid with deadly force, according to the Russian media, was the death of 70 of those calling themselves Russian patriots, whom Moscow might have described as traitors, insurrectionists, Ukraine lap-dogs. The towns of Kozinka, Glotove and Gora-Odul, sized by the raiding forces are now back in Russian military hands. But the Russian government of President Vladimir Putin appears to be crumbling. Not soon enough, not fast enough.

A still image shows a flying object exploding in an intense burst of light near the dome of the Kremlin Senate building earlier this month.   Ostorozhno Novosti/Reuters