In recent days, there has been intensified shelling in the Belgorod region, including the city of Shebekino and border villages. The Armed Forces of Ukraine are targeting military targets in the region, which include electronic warfare stations, warehouses, armored vehicles, and missile launchers. The Russian forces deliberately position their equipment and personnel in residential areas for cover.
The civilian population has not been evacuated, likely to make it harder for Ukrainian artillery and drones to target military positions. The situation has led to the displacement of civilians, with limited assistance provided by the local authorities.
The city of Shebekino has suffered significant damage, with houses and a church being shelled. Many residents have fled the city, leaving behind vulnerable family members, and the evacuation assistance provided by the authorities has been insufficient. The situation is reminiscent of the past refugee flows observed during Russia's invasion of eastern Ukraine. The residents express fear and desperation as their city is being destroyed.
The RDK (Russian Liberation Movement) has made claims of growing support and armed struggle against Putin and his government. They call on Russian soldiers and officers to surrender and join their cause. If the RDK's claim of capturing a city is valid, it poses a significant threat to Belgorod and escalates the conflict. The Russian authorities are transferring armor to the combat zone, indicating their concern despite official statements suggesting otherwise.
The RDK's actions resemble past raids and sabotage by Chechen fighters, which aimed to demonstrate the dangers of war to the Russian population. However, such raids did not have the intended effect and strengthened anti-Chechen sentiments among federal troops. The current raids by the RDK serve the Russian propaganda narrative that Ukraine is attacking Russia. While the Belgorod region may perceive a sense of threat, the overall Russian population does not feel it. The war against Russia narrative serves the Putin regime, and events like these fuel that narrative.
The RDK's leader, Konstantin Nikitin, holds neo-Nazi ideologies, but the state may attempt to otherize the group to distance it from mainstream Russians. However, if the RDK establishes a base of operations in captured cities, it would complicate matters for Moscow.
The situation is not limited to the Belgorod region, as attacks by the RDK and the Legion have also been reported in the Bryansk region. The Russian armed forces now face the challenge of defending Donetsk and the Federation's administrative borders, which further complicates the situation.
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