Intense fighting in Belgorod region sparks alarm among Russian war bloggers
Growing anxiety is rippling through Russian war channels over the breakthrough into the Belgorod region by the Russian Volunteer Corps, the Freedom of Russia Legion, and the Siberian Battalion.
There is a surge of complaints indicating that the region was experiencing very intense fighting.
The Russian Telegram channel Svarschiki (the welders) reported that the border skirmishes in the Belgorod region were fiercely intense. The narratives from the Russian Ministry of Defense and pro-government propaganda claiming limited engagements with sabotage groups evidently do not reflect reality.
"Our sources on the ground in Belgorod report real combined-arms battles, heavy combat. The enemy forces are determined and well-prepared, including mercenaries. We are holding for now, but the situation should not be underestimated. These are not merely sabotage groups,” stated a Russian war channel.
Yegor Guzenko (aka Thirteenth), a Russian military operative who recently faked his death to increase his number of followers, has expressed alarm over the conflict at the border. He writes about the fierce clashes on the frontier.
"Heavy battles are taking place in the Belgorod region, involving the use of military equipment and aircraft. This is no longer the so-called 'sabotage group. This is a full-scale intensive battle," the Russian blogger posted on his Telegram channel.
The operation by the Russian Volunteer Corps, the Freedom of Russian Legion, and the Siberian Battalion commenced in the early hours of March 12. Russian opposition forces broke through the border in the Belgorod and Kursk regions of Russia. The fiercely intense battles have now persisted for three days. The civilian population of the neighboring Russian districts is fleeing to safety.
Earlier, the Russian opposition fighters warned of strikes on Belgorod and Kursk, urging the civilian population to evacuate immediately.