Russia-Ukraine war: Putin’s government warns that it will respond “with extreme harshness” to new attacks by saboteurs on the border

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu warned Ukraine on Wednesday will respond “with extreme harshness” to future border incursions such as those who, according to the government of Vladimir Putin, led groups of saboteurs in the neighboring Belgorod region.

“Faced with such actions by Ukrainian terrorists, so are we We will react quickly and with extreme force.“, Shoigú said during the meeting with the defense staff.

Shoigu, who has been heavily criticized for the permeability of Russia’s border with Ukraine, pointed this out more than 70 saboteurs were eliminated in the counter terrorist operation where several enemy armored vehicles were destroyed.

He stressed that both the border guard such as artillery and aviationwhich failed to remove the threat until Tuesday.

According to the Kommersant newspaper, citing an investigation by the Russian Investigative Committee, two soldiers were killed and four wounded in the attack on a military garrison in Belgorod.

The governor of Belgorod, Viacheslav Gladkov, assured on Wednesday that he had “complaints” to present to the defense ministry after the enemy entered so easily through a border post.

Instead the spokesman of the Kremlin, Dmitri Peskov, defended the ministry from criticism and blamed Kiev to ensure that all border regions are in danger.

“Our military, our border guards and corresponding services are doing their job,” he stressed in his daily telephone press conference.

The newspaper “New York Times” reported that the saboteurs suffered casualties, but not enough to prevent further incursions on Russian territory.

“We don’t know which columns Mr. Konashenkov (Russian Defense Ministry spokesman) destroyed, but the Russian Volunteer Corps has no casualties,” one of the groups that entered Belgorod said on its Telegram channel.

The Volunteer Corps, which took responsibility for the attack together with the Legion Freedom for Russia, defines itself at formation of “Russian patriots” fighting on the Ukrainian side against Putin’s “regime”.

Kyiv dissociated itself from the raid from the start, which left 12 wounded and two civilian dead, although the saboteurs were supported by heavy Ukrainian artillery.