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Russia claims to have ‘liquidated two Ukrainian saboteurs’
Five others who launched a cross-border raid into the frontier region of Bryansk were also reportedly captured
Russia on Thursday claimed its forces killed two Ukrainian “saboteurs” and captured five others who launched a cross-border raid into the frontier region of Bryansk.
Ukrainian special forces operatives tried to carry out a series of “high-profile terrorist acts on military and energy infrastructure facilities”, Moscow’s FSB security agency said.
The agency did not comment on how many Ukrainian fighters had tried to cross into the Bryansk region, which borders both Ukraine and Belarus.
But it claimed the group consisted of troops from Ukraine’s SBU security service, its military intelligence agency, and special forces.
“In the course of operational and combat measures in the Navlinsky district, two militants were liquidated, five were detained, three of whom were wounded,” said Aleksandr Bogomaz, the governor of Bryansk.
The Navlinsky district is situated just south of the city of Bryansk and some 25 miles east of the Ukrainian border.
The FSB said its operatives had seized Nato-standard grenades and other ammunition in a joint operation with Russia’s National Guard and local police forces to foil the purported Ukrainian raid.
Video footage published by Ria Novosti, a Russian state news agency, appeared to show a weapons cache said to have been captured from the Ukrainian group.
Among the weaponry, laid out on a black mat on the grass, were six automatic rifles, nine hand grenades and two dozen magazines, which Mr Bogomaz said had been made in the US.
Russian authorities are looking at “criminal proceedings” against the captured Ukrainians, the FSB said.
Moscow has repeatedly claimed Ukrainian forces have used Western-donated weapons to carry out strikes and incursions into the Russian mainland.
Ukrainian officials did not comment on the alleged incursion in Bryansk.
But Kyiv has frequently denied using Western weaponry to launch attacks on Russia.
Mr Bogomaz said later on Thursday that Russian forces had downed three drones over the Bryansk region.
Footage shared on social media appeared to show Ukrainian-made UJ-22 drones flying in the blue skies above the region.
There were no reports of casualties or damage as a result of the apparent strikes.