Russia warns of 'extremely harsh response' to incursions from Kyiv after Belgorod attack

Russia deterred shellfires in one of the most significant cross-border raids in the city of Belgorod, the country's defence minister Sergei Shoigu said on Wednesday, warning of 'extremely' harsh retaliation to all future incursions into Russia and Ukraine. In a stringent military measure, Moscow scrambled its fighter jets and deployed artillery to ward off the Ukrainian armed group that might cross over from Ukraine in the future. 

"We will continue to respond promptly and extremely harshly to such actions by Ukrainian militants," Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu was reported saying, after just two days of fighting in the southern region of Belgorod.

❗️🇷🇺🇺🇦Grayvoron border checkpoint in the Belgorod region after the attack of Ukrainian saboteurs is under the complete control of the Russian military - media pic.twitter.com/8XxntxzVMa

— Theresa 🇷🇺 🇳🇬 (@tretter50001) May 24, 2023

Russians in Belgorod describe situation as 'terrible'

Shaheds attack the Belgorod People's Republic pic.twitter.com/48bKmtffnc

— Getty (@region776) May 22, 2023

Since Moscow launched its all-out invasion of Ukraine, regular shelling and drone attacks have been witnessed in the Russian city, which Kremlin alleges is being carried out by Ukraine’s army, while Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy blames on Russia's anti-Kremlin militia that opposes the war. 

“We f****d up,” a citizen of Russia Pavel, 33, a taxi driver from Belgorod city, told The Moscow Times. “Where were Russia’s Armed Forces? I don’t understand," he questioned. Russian officials blamed a Ukrainian "sabotage group" for infiltrating Belgorod and carrying out drone and artillery attacks.

Russia's defence ministry said a "unit of the Ukrainian nationalist formation" invaded Russian territory, and that they were responsible for heavy shelling on the Kozinka checkpoint as well as the nearby areas. 

"The Russian Volunteer Corps and the Freedom of Russia Legion gave a final press conference on the results of their raid in the Belgorod region of Russia. It took place near the border in northern Ukraine
The RVC commander Denis Nikitin said that the most active phase of pic.twitter.com/aMP6kJoyOg

— NAFO_FELLA (@Nohractk) May 24, 2023

Russian citizens living in Belgorod described the situation as "terrible”. Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov, on his Telegram channel, said that the attack claimed the life of one Russian civilian, and at least nine people were injured. Belgorod, said the Governor, was targeted overnight by numerous allegedly Ukrainian drones. The civilians came under attack by sustained artillery fire and mortar shelling.

🇷🇺🇺🇦 ⏺Journalists who arrived in the Graivoronsky city district of the Belgorod region came under fire. pic.twitter.com/0IYI4Yljnz

— Theresa 🇷🇺 🇳🇬 (@tretter50001) May 24, 2023

More than "70 Ukrainian terrorists" attacked several armed vehicles during the cross-border skirmishes, Gladkov said. As many as 550 residents of the Grayvoron district were temporarily evacuated, he said. "There have been a large number of drone attacks. Most of the air defense systems were dealt with, but there are damages in Belgorod, in the Borisovsky district," he wrote on Telegram. "A gas pipeline was damaged in the Grayvoron District, causing fire," he added. After Monday's incursion into the Russian border city, defense Ministry of the Russian Federation declared a counter-terrorism operation.