Ukraine has suffered over 1,500 casualties in a series of border raids this week, according to Moscow
FILE PHOTO: A Ukrainian Mil Mi-8 military helicopter. © Alex Babenko / Getty Images
Russian military and security forces repelled the latest Ukrainian attempted incursion on Thursday, resulting in multiple fatalities on the Kiev’s side, Moscow’s Defense Ministry reported on Friday morning.
The operation involved Ukrainian commandos and foreign mercenaries seeking to infiltrate Russia, according to the ministry. The group of up to 30 fighters arrived in helicopters at a location about a kilometer from the border, and moved on foot towards the village of Kozinka in Belgorod Region.
The stealth approach worked for some time, and the troops reached the outskirts of the border settlement, the statement said. But they were spotted while trying to move deeper into the village, triggering a reaction by Russian forces, including military personnel and border guards of the Federal Security Service (FSB).
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The team was then targeted by Russian artillery and military aviation. The territory through which other Ukrainian troops could reach Kozinka to prop up the advance force was remotely mined. The Ukrainians were then forced out of the village, with survivors running into the freshly placed minefield and getting killed, according to the statement. An attempted evacuation was stopped by rocket artillery.
The ministry estimated Ukrainian casualties in the new episode at over 50. The incursion added to the list of similar operations launched by Kiev since Tuesday in the Belgorod and Kursk regions.
Total Ukrainian losses in all the attempted raids have surpassed 1,500, the Russian statement said. A third of those are considered “irretrievable” – a military term for troops that cannot be put back into service, due to being killed, maimed or captured. Ukraine also lost 18 tanks and 23 armored vehicles during the incursions, the Russian military said.
READ MORE: Ukrainian militants’ incursion claim debunked
Three militia forces, which claim to be formed from Russian nationals collaborating with Kiev to topple the government in Moscow, claimed responsibility for the raids. Their stated goal was to disrupt the presidential election, which started in Russia on Friday.
Russian law enforcement considers the groups as terrorist organizations serving as proxies for Ukraine’s military intelligence.
