Explosions in Belgorod, convoys of civilian cars going from the Ukrainian border deep into the territory of the Russian Federation – this is how the first day of the Russian “presidential elections” in the Belgorod and Kursk regions of the aggressor state passed. All because since March 12 and until now, three Russian volunteer units fighting on the side of Ukraine — the Legion of Freedom of Russia, the Russian Volunteer Corps and the Siberian Battalion — are conducting a special operation there “to liberate the Russian Federation from the dictatorship.”
The declared minimum task of the volunteers is to disrupt the holding of the so-called elections in the border areas of the Russian Federation appointed by the Kremlin for March 15-17. The maximum task is the overthrow of the Putin regime.
What have the volunteers already achieved and what are their plans for the future? NV talked about this with a direct participant in the raid — Oleksiy Baranovsky, a representative of the Russian Freedom Legion.
— What did the volunteers achieve on the fourth day of the operation?
– Since yesterday, the situation has become hotter. The battles are quite intense. The latest information: in [the Russian border village] Tyotkino [located in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation near the Sumy region], and near the railway station there is an active shooting battle.
The Russian army is trying to attack very powerfully. Both mortars and artillery are used. Video messages were posted in various publications that they were even carrying out airstrikes. Russian aviation is bombing Russian territory. They think we are still there but we have not been there for a long time. Civilian residential buildings in the Belgorod region are being destroyed.
They [the Russian army] behave in the same way as they behaved on the territory of Ukraine – they do not care about the losses among the civilian population, the destruction, etc. According to our information, unfortunately, many were wounded among the civilian population. All the wounded are taken to the hospital in the settlement of Glushkovo, which is north of Tyotkino in the Kursk region – both local residents and conscripts. The Hlushkov hospital is now overcrowded, there is not enough blood.
The authorities of the Kursk region are in no hurry to provide any support to the wounded. Moreover, we know from yesterday’s experience that they not only do not organize evacuation but also prevent it.
In general, the situation is quite difficult. We still have several destroyed armoured vehicles of the Russian army in our assets.
— Which settlements are currently controlled by volunteers?
— You can refer to the map we posted on the Legion’s Telegram channel [a humanitarian corridor map for the evacuation of residents of the border areas]. From Tyotkino to Graivoron and Shebekino [a long section of the Russian border in the Kursk and Belgorod regions] is all a grey zone in which fighting continues. In the Belgorod region, the epicentre is Kozinka [a Russian village directly on the border] and Graivoron [a village located a little further from the border]. Kozinka is already completely under the control of rebel forces. Clashes continue in the Grayvoron area.
— Volunteers yesterday announced massive strikes on Russian military facilities. Which of them have already been attacked?
— Explosions are constantly heard in Belgorod. We only strike at military facilities and it hit military facilities. Gradually, everything will be posted [in the Telegram channel] and what happened where will be verified.
There are some other events, for example, the explosion at the polling station [in Belgorod]. This is not part of our remit. We need to understand what exactly happened there.
— How do the Russian military in the Belgorod and Kursk regions react to your operation?
– Battles continue. By the way, prisoners of the Russian Armed Forces were taken in Kozynka, we will gradually publish this information as well. A certain amount of equipment was captured along with the prisoners. What other interaction can there be with the Russian military? We look through our field of vision.
“Have any of them gone over to your side?”
– No, there are no such facts yet. There are only prisoners and battles.
– How many prisoners were captured?
— The situation is being processed. I just know they are there. Gradually, all this will be posted on the Telegram channel.
– What is the fate of the prisoners?
— Usually, these people end up in the exchange fund of Ukraine. During the previous operation, we offered the governor [Belhorod Oblast Vyacheslav Hladkov to take part in some way [in the exchange] and enter into negotiations]. I don’t know if there will be such offers now. Then Governor Gladkov was in no hurry to save his compatriots.
— What is the reaction of the local Russian authorities to your actions? How are the so-called elections going? Are there no “elections” in those settlements in the grey zone?
– They are not there. There is no ruling authority there. They [representatives of the Russian government] were the first to get into jeeps and drive off “into the sunset.” Because they understand that they can be exchanged both by us and by their fellow villagers, who already have all this nepotism and thievery in their livers.
In the border area from Tyotkino in the Kursk region to Graivoron and Shebekino in the Belgorod region, polling stations were not open for some reason. We took our passports, and absentee cards with us – here is my absentee card [points to the weapon]. We wanted to vote. But for some reason, it didn’t work out. Therefore, we have to vote in other ways. Our mortars sent their “ballots” to Putin’s election committees.
— How do local residents react to you, the volunteers?
– They don’t react at all. There are two ways to react: leave or hide in the basements. Both are correct. It is better, of course, to leave. Because if Russia drops anything from the planes, the basement might not help.
— You called on civilians from the Belgorod and Kursk regions to evacuate. How many people listened?
— The last figure [as of the morning of 15 March] was 7,000. I think it is already approaching 10,000. As before, we call on the citizens of the Russian Federation to leave the grey area, and Belhorod itself and Kursk, too. Departure corridors will be reopened tonight from 21:00 to 07:00. We cease fire and give people the opportunity to leave.
— How did the authorities of the Russian Federation react to the evacuation of people? Did it prevent it?
— Many inter-city flights from Belgorod and Kursk were cancelled. At the exits from the city, there was the Traffic Police [Department of the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate], which prevented the exit of private vehicles. All of this is allegedly happening for technical reasons, “for your interests” — blah blah blah, as usual. In fact, they prevent evacuation and cover themselves with people as a human shield.
— What information do you have about enemy losses? How many soldiers were wounded and eliminated?
– We are talking about at least two dozen dead and wounded. There is no exact number yet. Roughly speaking, we can see from the drones that everything went where it should, and everyone died there. But it takes a certain amount of time to calculate it, there is not always enough for analysis. Everything is recorded, but the exact data will be provided gradually.
— Are there injured, killed or captured on your side?
— There are no prisoners. Regarding our sanitary losses, I also do not have any information yet. You have to understand that the battles are really tough. And here anything can happen. This is war.
— What are your plans for 15-17 March, the days of pseudo-elections in the Russian Federation?
– So far, it has not been possible to vote – the polling stations are closed. But we will try hard to vote. We will move in the northern direction [deep into the territory of the Russian Federation], maybe we will find some polling stations there and vote. We are persistent in our desire to participate in the elections.
– Is there a stop point?
— The stop word is “Putin-*ylo.” We will work while it works. The Russian army will only strengthen its military presence. We are ready for various developments. At least in the coming days — 15-16-17 March — we intend to actively participate in the voting.
— Will you continue the operation after the end of the so-called elections?
— Everything depends on the operational situation. At least until the 17th is a pre-election holiday. And then we will see.
NV
