Rebel Russians attack from Ukraine, coinciding with Ukrainian drone strikes

The surprise attacks, planned on the occasion of the Russian elections, aim to undermine the feeling of stability in Russia and divert the country's military resources from the 'Ukraine.

Gathered on a Ukrainian farm, the soldiers checked their equipment: rifles, machine guns, grenade launchers, spare batteries for radios, red flashlights and white, everything needed for a stealthy and daring operation. nighttime assault across the border with Russia.

The soldiers are Russians who have turned against the government of their country's president, Vladimir V. Putin, and now fight for Ukraine. making incursions into Russia.

Their objective was to break through a first line of Russian defense, hoping to open the way for another unit to penetrate deeper into Russia. with tanks and armored personnel carriers.

“We will jump into their trench and hold it,” explained one of the soldiers, who demanded anonymity for security reasons. "Either we eliminate them or they eliminate us."

According to Ukrainian and Russian accounts, heavy fighting raged along the southern border of the Russia for a maximum of five days. large-scale ground attacks in Russia since its military invaded Ukraine two years ago.

Three groups of Russian exiles, openly supported by the agency Ukrainian military intelligence agency, say the assaults are timed to undermine the sense of stability that underpins Mr. Putin's quest for a fifth term, in which three days of voting conclude on Sunday.

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