Battles And ‘Gray Zone’: Progress Of Volunteer Raid In Russia

The Russian Federation is not able to close its border.

The raid of Russian volunteers in the Belgorod and Kursk regions has been going on for the 7th day. The rebels are fighting, inflicting losses on Putin’s troops and expanding the “gray zone” in the Russian border region. This is accompanied by drone strikes and shelling.

Read about how the raid is progressing in the Belgorod and Kursk regions and what is happening there in the RBC-Ukraine article below.

Battles, “gray areas”

According to a published message from the fighters, fighting continues in the village of Tetkino, Kursk region. Today, the rebels released footage of the destruction of the Russian army's BC.

Meanwhile, the “gray zone” expanded to the village of Gorkovskaya, Belgorod region. On the morning of March 17, the Siberian Battalion reported that fighters, together with Ichkerian volunteers, entered the village and seized the administrative building. A few hours later, the rebels announced that the village had come under their control. The information was supported by video recording.

As Oleksandr Kovalenko, a military-political observer of the Information Resistance group, noted on his Telegram channel, this settlement is located one and a half kilometers from the border with Ukraine and 2 rural roads and a railway pass through it.

“In contrast to the main pressure through Kozinka in the direction of Grayvoron, Gorkovsky is a kind of separate location, which can in the future not only become a border bridgehead, but also a springboard to cutting 14K-4 (a public road of regional importance in the Belgorod region: Belgorod - Grayvoron - Kozinka - edit.),” the expert wrote.

In addition, it became known that volunteers raised flags over the village of Kozinka in the Belgorod region. This was announced yesterday by the soldiers of the Russian Volunteer Corps and the Siberian Battalion.

“A limited special operation of volunteer forces on the territory of the Russian Federation continues. Flags of the Siberian Battalion and RVC in the village of Kozinka of the Russian Federation,” Russian volunteers reported, publishing the corresponding photo.

Taking into account the above, the map of the so-called “gray zones” in the border Russian Federation continues to expand. Recently, the settlement of Gorkovsky was added there, covering an area of 9.84 square kilometers. In general, these “gray zones” in the Belgorod and Kursk regions occupy 51.64 square kilometers, namely:

▪ Tetkino (Kursk region) — 11.29 square kilometers;

▪ Glotovoe/Kozinka (Belgorod region) — 14.88 square kilometers;

▪ Gorkovsky (Belgorod region) — 9.84 square kilometers;

▪ Lozovaya Rudka (Belgorod region) — 0.34 square kilometers;

▪ Nekhoteevka (Belgorod region) — 1.57 square kilometers;

▪ Novaya Tavolzhanka (Belgorod region) — 13.72 square kilometers.

Russian losses

Also (Russian volunteers announced the losses https://charter97.org/ru/news/2024/3/18/588062/) of Russian troops in the Kursk and Belgorod regions from March 12 to 18. It was noted that in the Russian army 613 soldiers were killed and 829 were wounded. 27 Russians were taken prisoner. Destroyed equipment — more than 130 units.

Personnel:

▪ irretrievable losses: 613 military personnel

▪ sanitary losses: 829 military personnel

▪ captured: 27 military personnel

Destroyed equipment:

▪ 7 tanks (including three T-72, one T-72BZ)

▪ 20 infantry fighting vehicles (including BMP-2, BMP-3)

▪ 6 howitzers D-30

▪ 4 armored personnel carriers

▪ 4 mortars

▪ 2 MT-12 “Rapira”

▪ 2 2S19 “Msta-S”

▪ 2 ZALA UAVs

▪ 1 BM 21 “Grad”

▪ 1 LNG

▪ 1 complex “Murom”

▪ 1 electronic warfare station

▪ 1 repeater

▪ 2 units of armored vehicles

▪ 2 units of engineering equipment (excavators)

▪ 57 units of various automotive equipment (heavy and light)

Disabled equipment:

▪ 1 T-80PVM tank

▪ 1 T-72 tank

▪ 1 infantry fighting vehicle

▪ 1 BM 21 “Grad”

▪ 2 MT-LB

▪ 1 Msta-B

▪ 1 TOS-2

▪ 1 BM 21 “Grad”

▪ 1 2С1 “Gvozdika”

▪ 1 electronic warfare station

▪ 1 armored vehicle

▪ 20 units of various automotive equipment (heavy and light)

“Personnel concentration areas, ammunition depots, dugouts, towers with antenna complexes, fortifications, video surveillance cameras, a cellular communication station, a bridge in the village of Gorkovsky, etc. were also destroyed or damaged,” the Freedom of Russia Legion reported.

As the Freedom of Russia legion notes, against the backdrop of the successful raid of Russian volunteers on the territory of the Russian Federation, “the greatest damage was suffered by the image of Putin as a figure who can supposedly keep the situation in the country under control.”

In addition, today fighters of the “Siberian Battalion” managed to deliver a successful strike on one of the Russian tanks in the village of Zamosc.

In turn, the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine confirmed the data on losses of the Russian Army.

“The Freedom of Russia Legion and the RVC announced enemy losses during this period. We can confirm them... These are serious losses in an area that has long been declared closed by the enemy, “protected” and supposedly everything should be “good” there,” said Andriy Yusov, a representative of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, on the telethon.

Background

The raid of the Russian Volunteer Corps, the Freedom of Russia Legion and the Siberian Battalion in the territories of the Russian Federation bordering Ukraine began on March 12. These are autonomous detachments of anti-Putin-minded Russian citizens fighting against the Russian Federation on the side of Ukraine.

During virtually week-long battles, some territories in the border regions of the Russian Federation are controlled by the rebels. In addition, in the Kursk and Belgorod regions, rebels from time to time declare humanitarian corridors for the evacuation of the population.

Meanwhile, the city of Belgorod virtually ceased to function normally. Due to constant shelling, shopping centers and cafes are closed there, explosions are heard all the time, and schools have already been temporarily switched to remote learning.

Currently, the situation continues to develop dynamically. Volunteers say they have no intention of stopping.

As the head of Ukrainian intelligence Kirylo Budanov

noted, the operation of the RVC, the Freedom of Russia Legion and the Siberian battalion on the Russian border is only the beginning of their fight for their country.