Russian pro-Ukrainian volunteer fighters likely retreated to border in Belgorod Oblast – ISW
The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) has suggested that fighters of the Russian Volunteer Corps and the Freedom of Russia Legion have probably retreated closer to the border with Ukraine after the clash with Russian troops in Belgorod Oblast, Russia.
Source: ISW
Details: The Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK) and the Freedom of Russia Legion (LSR), in which Russians fight for Ukraine, announced the "liberation" of several settlements in Belgorod Oblast, Russia, from Putin's government on 22 May.
On 23 May, the Russian authorities announced the defeat of the fighters of the RDK and the LSR, who are called "saboteurs" in Russia, and the ending of the "counter-terrorist" operation in Belgorod Oblast. Vladimir Putin decided not to hold an emergency meeting of the Security Council of the Russian Federation.
Quote from ISW: "Russian forces likely pushed the RDK and LSR forces at least to the Kozinka border settlement and possibly out of Russian territory as of 23 May. Kozinka is located approximately 76km southeast of Sumy City."
Details: Russian sources published footage of Russian troops shelling the positions of RDK and LSR vehicles near the Kozinka border checkpoint at night and claimed that Russian troops recaptured Kozinka and the checkpoint in the morning.
Geolocation footage from Russian state media shows damaged and destroyed vehicles at the checkpoint.
Some Russian sources claimed that the RDK and the LSR forces "settled" in a church in Kozinka, but, according to preliminary data, "Russian forces may have ousted the pro-Ukrainian forces by the evening".
Russian sources claim that Russian forces began a mop-up operation in Kozinka and Glotovo (east of Kozinka) on 23 May.
Geolocated video footage published on Tuesday, 23 May, shows the aftermath of attacks on Gora Podol (about 6km northwest of Kozinka) and Russian infantry patrolling between Grayvoron (about 7km northwest of Kozinka) and Gora Podol.
Quote from ISW: "[This – ed.] suggesting that RDK and LSR personnel no longer hold or never held positions in the settlement. It is unclear whether the RDK and LSR captured any villages on 22 May or 23 May, however."
Details: Russian sources claimed that Ukrainian forces conducted raids across the border between Kharkiv and Belgorod on 23 May, but ISW found no confirmation that these raids took place.
According to the Freedom of Russia Legion, the LSR and RDK personnel continued to conduct their operation in Belgorod Oblast on 23 May.
The Russian Volunteer Corps in the evening also published a message on Telegram, "A big request to convey to General Lapin, who is "in charge of the mop-up operation", that we are not far from here and when we pull out the armoured personnel carriers, we will definitely oversee the process."
On the morning of 24 May, RVC posted a video showing intact MaxxPro armoured personnel carriers.
Background: The NYT, with reference to an anonymous Ukrainian official, reported that 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.
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