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Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin on Monday blamed the Kremlin for failing to defend the area of Belgorod from incursions by Russian fighters serving within the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Prigozhin was referring to the Freedom of Russia Legion—shaped weeks after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine started in February 2022—and the Russian Volunteer Corps, who crossed into Russia’s Belgorod area, situated close to to the Ukrainian border, and claimed to have seized the village of Kozinka and small city of Graivoron.
“There’s a lack of administration and public funding has been slashed,” Prigozhin, whose mercenaries have been closely concerned within the ongoing struggle in Ukraine, mentioned in an audio message on the Telegram channel belonging to his firm Harmony. Some authorities officers are “enjoying the idiot,” he mentioned.
“There isn’t any governance, no need, and no people who’re able to defend their nation. I spoke about this many instances in each the Belgorod and Kursk areas,” mentioned Prigozhin.
Ilya Ponomarev, an exiled Russian politician who says he’s the political consultant for the Legion, advised Newsweek on Monday that the fighters purpose “to liberate Russia from Putinism.”
Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov mentioned on Monday that Putin was conscious of an try by a “Ukrainian sabotage group” to assault the Belgorod area, and mentioned work was underway to “squeeze them out” of Russian territory and “destroy them.”
The Most important Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Protection of Ukraine confirmed the 2 teams had entered the Belgorod area. It mentioned they had been finishing up an operation to create “a safety zone to guard civilian Ukrainians.”
In an replace Tuesday, Belgorod Regional Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov mentioned on his Telegram channel that Russia’s Protection Ministry and safety forces “proceed their mopping up operation.”
“To residents…who left their properties quickly I say do not return but,” mentioned Gladkov, including that two civilians had been wounded and hospitalized.
In an earlier audio message, Prigozhin mentioned Russian President Vladimir Putin’s so-called “particular navy operation” had shifted to a “struggle part.”
“This isn’t the primary time that explosions have been heard within the Belgorod, Kursk, and Bryansk areas and persons are dying. I can guarantee you, there are troopers on the borders,” he mentioned. “All of the border guards do is simply examine paperwork.”
Prigozhin questioned the whereabouts of Russia’s navy when the Legion and the Russian Volunteer Corps entered Belgorod.
“This can be a massive query that must be put to the management of a navy division. So far as I do know, the navy division just isn’t itching to strengthen our borders,” he mentioned.
“It’s obliged to do that, it’s its direct accountability…they’re obliged to defend their nation,” Prigozhin added. “And what they’re telling us now, how they’ve come to the rescue, is nothing greater than one other PR stunt from inept PR individuals.”
The Institute for the Examine of Battle assessed on Monday that Prigozhin “took benefit of the incident” to “accuse the Russian authorities and its bureaucratic inertia of contributing to the assault.”
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