The attack by pro-Ukrainian fighters on Belgorod earlier this week has raised doubts in the West about Russia’s defense capability.
President of Russia Vladimir Putin issued an order on Sunday to strengthen the country’s border security, reports news agency Reuters. According to Putin, the purpose of the order is to ensure the rapid movement of Russian military and civilian personnel to the occupied territories in Ukraine.
Putin said in his message to the border guards that the task of the border guards is to comprehensively guard the borders in the vicinity of the combat zone.
The Border Guard Service is a branch of the FSB, Russia’s federal security service, and Putin published a message addressed to the service on the Kremlin’s Telegram channel on Sunday on the occasion of Border Guard Day.
Attacks inside Russia have increased in recent weeks. The attacks have mostly been drone attacks on areas located near the Ukrainian border. More and more often, the attacks have also been directed at the interior of Russia, for example on an oil pipeline located northwest of Moscow on Saturday.
– It is necessary to ensure the rapid movement of both military and civilian vehicles and cargo to the new subjects of the (Russian) federation, Putin said in the message.
Last September, Putin declared the regions of Kherson, Zaporizhia, Luhansk and Donetsk in Ukraine to be annexed to Russia after fake referendums. Russian forces only partially control these four areas.
The attacks on Russia targeted, among other things, infrastructure
On Saturday, authorities said three people were injured in shelling by Ukrainians in Belgorod. Pro-Ukraine fighters struck the same area earlier this week. The attack raised doubts in the West about Russia’s combat and defense capabilities.
The regions of Kursk and Belgorod, located on the border with Ukraine, have been the most common targets targeted by attacks so far. The attacks have damaged, among other things, energy infrastructure, railways and military targets.
Local authorities have blamed Ukraine for the attacks. The Russian administration has accused the West of supporting the attacks.
The Ukrainian administration has almost never publicly taken responsibility for attacks carried out inside Russia and in Russian-occupied territories in Ukraine. Ukraine has said the destruction of infrastructure is preparation for a planned ground attack.
Ukraine announced on Saturday that it was ready to launch its long-promised counteroffensive. Its goal is to recapture the territories that Russia has occupied during the 15-month war of aggression.
Source: Reuters