[PJ Media (VIP)] When I read reports that a Russian volunteer force that fights alongside the Ukraine army had invaded Russia’s Belgorod region this morning, my first instinct was to dismiss it as a mostly meaningless stunt. I didn’t even bother mentioning it in this morning’s big update on Russia’s victory in the Battle of Bakhmut. Maybe that was a mistake.
Hours later, and details are still coming in about what looks more and more like a serious effort to disrupt Russian forces in the area by other Russian forces, ironically enough. The Freedom for Russia Legion is made up of Russian defectors — nobody seems to know how many, but the organization claims two battalions, or around 1,000-3,000 men — dedicated to protecting "Ukrainians from real fascists" and overthrowing Vladimir Putin. That seems just too ambitious (and for Kyiv, convenient) for me to take very seriously.
Nevertheless, the Legion claimed early Monday, "The Legion and the RDK completely liberated Kozinka settlement, Belgorod Oblast. Advance detachments entered Grayvoron. We move on. Russia will be free!" And there are plenty of photos, videos — and anti-terror measures just put in place by Belgorod authorities, lending credence to that claim.
|
