The Russian Ministry of Defense announced today that the team “AhmadChechen special forces launched an attack near the city Maryinka in the east of Donetsk region UkrainianThis is reported by Russian news agencies.

At the same time, two villages in the western part of the Bryansk region Russia were bombarded by Ukrainian forces, but no casualties, said the governor of the Bryansk region Alexander Bogomaz in a series of posts on the messaging app Telegram.

Reuters has not yet been able to confirm reports of attacks in the villages of Lomakovka and Novaya Pogos, which are close to the border with the Chernihiv and Sumy regions of Ukraine.

Russian officials reported an intensification of attacks from northern Ukraine and announced that on Thursday Ukrainian forces attempted to cross the border into Russia’s Belgorod region, the first such attempt to enter Russian territory.

Governor of Belgorod Vyacheslav Gladkov reported today that at least one incident of shelling was recorded in the Sebekino area overnight and that more than 2,500 people were being evacuated from the area.

Ukraine denies any involvement of its forces in the incursions and says they are carried out by Russian volunteers.