NYT on Belgorod Oblast: Units suffered minor losses
Not a single Ukrainian fighter entered Russian territory during the operation in Belgorod Oblast, and the units that participated in the operation suffered losses that had no impact on their combat readiness.
Source: The New York Times (NYT), citing a senior Ukrainian official who spoke on condition of anonymity
Details: According to the NYT source, not a single Ukrainian fighter entered Russian territory. The Ukrainian military plays a mostly auxiliary role, protecting the Ukrainian border in the area in case of a Russian counterattack.
The source said the units that participated in the operation suffered losses, but not so significant as to affect their combat capability. He did not provide any other details.
Background:
- On 22 May, the Russian Volunteer Corps and the Freedom of Russia Legion announced that they had crossed the border and were "liberating" the settlements of Belgorod Oblast from the current Russian authorities, starting with the villages of Kozinka and Gora-Podol. These military formations also stated that they were seeking the "liberation" of all of Russia.
- Andrii Yusov, spokesman for Ukraine's Defence Intelligence, described the events that took place in Russia's Belgorod Oblast on 22 May as the creation of a "security zone" to protect Ukrainian citizens. Yusov stressed that the operation was conducted exclusively by Russian citizens.
- Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of Belgorod Oblast, reported that the majority of residents of the Grayvoron district had left their settlements.
- On 23 May, Vyacheslav Gladkov announced that the counter-terrorist operation regime in the oblast has been cancelled.
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