Russian forces repulsed a group of pro-Ukrainian “saboteurs” with artillery, Russian news agency Interfax reported, citing the Russian Defense Ministry.

Earlier, the governor of the Belgorod region, bordering Ukraine, reported fighting in the border town of Novaya Tavolzhanka. According to Vyacheslav Gladkov, the criminals are Russians who fight on the side of the Ukrainians and took two soldiers prisoner, offering to exchange them for a meeting with him. “The only thing that prevents me from negotiating with them is that our people who are in their hands may already be dead… outpost. I guarantee their safety,” he wrote in a Telegram message.

In the morning, the governor urged residents of the area to leave the area, which has intensified shelling in recent days.

^{Source: APE-MEB, Reuters, AFP.}