During a raid by saboteurs in the Belgorod region in early June, at least 14 servicemen from the Pskov region were killed, and 10 more were captured. The first official data was announced in a video message by the Governor of the Pskov region Mikhail Vedernikov.
Vedernikov called the DRG a "pseudo-Russian terrorist organization". He probably meant the "Russian Volunteer Corps" and the "Freedom of Russia" legion, which reported "forays" into the region.
According to Vedernikov, the funeral took place last week and this week. He clarified that these are not the last "mourning events." The governor also admitted that about 10 fighters from his region were captured, three were returned.
Vedernikov became the first representative of the Russian authorities to report casualties.
The Russian Volunteer Corps and the Freedom of Russia legion have been reporting in recent months that they have been making forays into the Belgorod region. Earlier, RDK fighters recorded a video message to the Governor of the Belgorod Region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, in which they offered to meet to transfer two prisoners and discuss the future of Russia. In early June, they announced that they had carried out a new raid and taken control of the village of Novaya Tavolzhanka in the Shebekinsky district. On June 5, Governor Gladkov announced that the authorities “could not enter” Novaya Tavolzhanka, but the very next day he claimed that “there is no enemy in the region” (representatives of the Russian Volunteer Corps denied this).
The Belgorod region has become a zone of active hostilities for many Russians. The city of Shebekino is regularly shelled, many buildings are destroyed, but some residents still remain in their homes. Many cannot leave: public transport does not work, communications periodically disappear, and they have to hide from shelling anywhere. The FSB department is trying to figure out the gunners and complains about the lack of help from the center. The authorities pretend that everything is under control, but in June, sabotage and reconnaissance groups from Ukraine repeatedly entered the border villages. The Insider's correspondent came under shelling in Shebekino in early June and briefly ended up in the hands of the security forces, who mistook her for a gunner of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. More details – in the material at the link.
