Ukrainian efforts to launch raids into Russia’s Belgorod and Kursk regions on Tuesday morning have been thwarted, with Kiev’s troops suffering significant losses, the Defense Ministry in Moscow has reported.
The Ukrainian military, supported by tanks and armored combat vehicles, attacked Belgorod Region simultaneously from three directions at around 3am local time, after first conducting a heavy bombardment of civilian infrastructure, the ministry stated.
All attacks were ultimately repelled by Russian forces, the ministry reported. It claimed that Ukrainian troops were forced to retreat without breaching the border, after suffering heavy losses and being targeted by missiles, artillery, and aviation.
Kiev’s forces lost up to 60 servicemen, five tanks, and one armored combat vehicle in the failed attack on Belgorod Region, the ministry stated.
In Kursk Region, Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance groups also tried to cross the border near the village of Tyotkino at around 8am local time, the ministry said. Having suffered significant losses, they were ultimately forced to retreat, it added.
Tuesday’s attacks are the latest in a string of failed attempts by the Ukrainian military to break through the Russian border in recent days. Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has claimed that since March 10, Kiev has lost over 100 troops, six tanks, a French Caesar artillery system, and 20 armored vehicles in failed incursion attempts in Belgorod and Kursk regions.