According to Belgorod’s governor, two women were slain in shelling by Ukrainian forces in the Russian border region of Belgorod.
Vyacheslav Gladkov stated that the victims were struck by projectiles while driving near the village of Maslova Pristan.
Bryansk and Kursk officials reported overnight artillery and drone damage to buildings.
Ukraine has not commented as of yet.
However, Kyiv has denied involvement in previous cross-border attacks, which it claims were carried out by Russian anti-government factions.
Mr. Gladkov reported in Belgorod that two men traveling in a separate vehicle were severely injured due to shelling.
In the past 24 hours, nine persons were injured in the region, he added.
In the meantime, the Liberty of Russia Legion (FRL), one of the most prominent anti-Kremlin paramilitary organizations, reported conducting military operations in the nearby village of Novaya Tavolzhanka.
And in a post on social media on Friday morning, it said two civilians had been slain after the Russian artillery mistook their vehicle for a car containing FRL members.
The FRL reported that “active fighting” persisted on the outskirts of Novaya Tavolzhanka and admitted that “legionnaires” were injured.
Neither claim has been verified independently.
According to the local governor, long-range drones hit two settlements in Smolensk and exploded in a Kaluga forest.
In recent weeks, the FRL and another paramilitary organization, the Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK), have increased their cross-border attacks.
The incursion, which targeted the border villages of Shebekino and Grayvoron, was one of the most significant since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Who are the anti-Putin paramilitaries in Russia?
The Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK) became famous after a cross-border assault in western Bryansk in March 2023. The group’s commander is identified as Denis Kapustin or Denis Nikitin, a Russian nationalist who, according to a Ukrainian investigative website, has ties to neo-Nazi organizations. Mr. Nikitin has characterized himself as a patriot with “traditionalist” views. While the RDK accuses Russia’s mainstream opposition of remaining neutral during the Ukraine conflict.
The Liberty of Russia Legion (FRL) is a distinct organization fighting alongside Ukrainian forces. A portion of the Russian opposition views the group’s white-blue-white flag as representing “free Russia.” Caesar, arguably the most well-known member of the FRL, asserted that “no one was forced to join the legion” and that all members were contract soldiers with Ukraine’s international legion.
