Russia says it crushes cross-border incursion from Ukraine

Russia said on Tuesday it had routed fighters who crossed the border from Ukraine after two days of combat, in what appeared to be one of the biggest incursions of its kind of the 15-month-old war.

There was no immediate independent confirmation that the fighting had ended, although one of two groups claiming to be behind the raid said in a post on social media: "One day we will return to stay."

The two days of fighting had forced Russia to evacuate towns along the Ukrainian border. Russia has blamed Ukraine for the attack, which Kyiv denied. The two groups that claimed responsibility describe themselves as Russian armed dissidents.

The Russian military said it had killed more than 70 "Ukrainian nationalists" and destroyed four armored vehicles. There was no independent confirmation of those losses.

Russian forces had surrounded the enemy fighters and defeated them with "air strikes, artillery fire and active action by border units", the defense ministry said.

"The remnants of the nationalists were pushed back to Ukrainian territory, where they continued to be hit by gunfire until they were completely eliminated," it added.

Earlier on Tuesday, regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov had told residents who fled the fighting the previous day that it was not yet safe to return.

Gladkov said one elderly woman had died during the evacuation. On Monday, he said at least eight people had been wounded, several buildings damaged and many residents had left.

The two groups who claimed responsibility, the Freedom of Russia Legion and the Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC), both say they comprise armed Russian fighters seeking to overthrow President Vladimir Putin.

The Legion says it is recognized by Ukraine and its members have fought there against Russia. The RVC has claimed responsibility for previous attacks inside Russia, including a cross-border raid in the neighboring Bryansk region in March.

"Good morning everybody, except Putin's henchmen. We have met the dawn on liberated territory, and are moving further on," the Legion said on Telegram.

"Once again, the myth that the citizens of the Russian Federation are safe and the Russian Federation is strong has been destroyed," it said in a later post.

The RVC said: "One day we will come to stay. Meanwhile, the partisan movement is not bound by the framework of traditional combat operations."

Reuters