The Free Russian Legion has the Russian nervous about their border security….
The fight is coming to them….
That as the fight for Bakhmut continues….
The Europeans are moving quickly to train Ukraine pilots on the F-16….
This may surprise President Biden who thinks the F-16 ain’t gonna be flown by the Ukraine for a “LONG” time……
I think they will be flying MUCH sooner…..
Across the border, Russia said it launched an investigation Tuesday into an alleged attack in its Belgorod region, after it accused pro-Ukrainian fighters of targeting the area. The Kremlin said it expelled the perpetrators from the region and blamed Ukraine; Kyiv denied any direct involvement.
Here’s the latest on the war and its ripple effects across the globe:
Key developments
- Belgorod’s governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said that the Russian region was targeted by a sabotage group and that a “counterterrorism operation” is underway. Russian officials described the incident as a cross-border attack on the Grayvoron district, and the country’s Investigative Committeesaid it has opened a criminal case. The full scope and details of the incidents remained unclear.
- Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov blamed “members of Ukrainian armed formations” for the Belgorod incident, after Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said that Ukraine had “nothing to do with it.” Responsibility was claimed by groups called the Freedom of Russia Legion and the Russian Volunteer Corps. On Telegram, the militias — composed of ethnic Russian fighters siding with Ukraine — said they “liberated” a settlement in Belgorod. The Washington Post could not independently verify the claims.
- A video verified by The Post showed two heavily damaged U.S.-made Humvees on the Russian side of a border station outside Belgorod. It is unclear if the militias used them, or if Ukrainian forces provided them to the group. The U.S. has provided more than 2,000 Humvees to Ukraine. A Pentagon spokesperson did not immediately return a request for comment.
- As their foothold in Bakhmut shrinks, Ukrainian troops are focused on counterattacks on the city’s periphery, officials said. Maliar said early Tuesday that fighting inside the city has subsided and that Russian forces are sweeping areas under their control, while battles rage on the city’s edges. She said Ukrainian troops control the southwestern outskirts.
Global impact
- Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin is in China, where he spoke at a business forum in Shanghai, according to Russia’s Tass news agency. He is expected to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visit.
- European allies have begun training Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16 jets, European Union foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said Tuesday. “I am happy that finally the training of the pilots for the F-16 has started in several countries. It will take time, but the sooner the better,” he told reporters in Brussels. The training “opens the door for the provision of jets.”
- Poland is in advanced talks to obtain early-warning aircraft from Sweden, according to Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak. Northern European defense ministers met in Poland on Monday to discuss threats to European security and securing NATO’s eastern flank. The group assured continued support for Ukraine, British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said….