Invasion Ukrainian forces on its territory, in the Belgorod region, complained yesterday Russiawhich, if confirmed, would be an unprecedented event in the 15 months since the start of the war.

According to the governor of Belgorod Vyacheslav Gladkov, groups of saboteurs of the Ukrainian army entered the village of Graivoron, about five kilometers from the border, and Russian forces “are taking the necessary measures to neutralize the enemy.”

Internet channel Baza, linked to the Russian security services, posted a video allegedly showing a Ukrainian armored personnel carrier crossing the border. In his written statement, Mikhail Podolyak, a close associate of the President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelenskydeclared that his country had nothing to do with the incident, which he attributed to the “Russian liberation movement”.

For his part, Andriy Chernyak, a representative of the Ukrainian special services, named two groups of Russian saboteurs who are allegedly hostile Vladimir Putin and they are fighting on the side of the Ukrainians, the “Russian Volunteer Corps” and the organization “Freedom in Russia”. The Associated Press reports that the first of the two organizations was formed last August by Russian far-right activists linked to their Ukrainian counterparts.

As for the Bakhmut Front in eastern Ukraine, independent observers such as the American Institute for the Study of War confirm that the city is practically in Russian hands. However, Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Hana Malyar noted that Ukrainian troops are advancing on the northern and southern outskirts of the city, which puts the Russians at risk of encirclement.

Founder of the Russian mercenary organization Wagner Evgeny Prigozhinwho on Saturday celebrated the capture of Bakhmut by his people, announced yesterday that his organization would hand over the city to the regular Russian army between May 25 and June 1.

Meanwhile, the Russian ambassador to UN Anatoly Antonov warned yesterday that a possible deployment of American F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine would raise questions about his involvement. NATO in conflict. In addition, the Russian diplomat emphasized that any strike on Crimea would be considered a strike on Russia, adding that “the US should be fully aware of Russia’s subsequent response.”

Blogger free

President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko yesterday expressed gratitude to opposition blogger Roman Protashevich, whose arrest provoked a strong reaction from the European Union. Protashevich, 27, and two of his friends founded the opposition online publication Nexta, which played a major role in the protests against Lukashenko’s contested re-election in August 2020. The state called Nexta a “terrorist organization” and Protashevich was sentenced ahead of schedule. months in prison for eight years, and two of his accomplices managed to escape abroad and appear in absentia.

The adventurous arrest of a young journalist took place exactly two years ago, on May 23, 2021. While flying from Athens to Vilnius, Lithuania, his flight received a bomb report that turned out to be false, but not before causing the plane to make an emergency landing in Minsk, Belarus. There, the country’s authorities arrested Protashevich, which caused an international outcry and prompted the European Union to impose sanctions against the Lukashenka regime.