Russia claims to have eliminated a quotgroup of saboteursquot Ukrainians

Russia claims to have eliminated a "group of saboteurs" Ukrainians who "has tried" to cross the border

According to the Russian secret service, four “saboteurs” were killed in the Bryansk border region.

The Russian Security Services (FSB) said on Monday they had killed four Ukrainian “saboteurs” the day before while trying to invade Russia’s Bryansk region bordering Ukraine, the source said.

“As a result of armed clashes on December 25, four saboteurs were eliminated in an attempt to enter the territory of the Bryansk region from Ukraine,” the FSB said, quoted by Russian news agencies.

According to the FSB, this group, which is accused of wanting to “commit acts of terrorism and sabotage,” was armed with German-made SIG Sauer submachine guns, communications equipment, as well as “four improvised explosive devices.”

A video broadcast by the Ria-Novosti news agency and attributed to the FSB shows four bodies covered in blood, surrounded by weapons and dressed in winter camouflage uniforms. AFP could not independently confirm these statements.

Series of incidents at Russian military sites

In recent months, Russia has been the victim of a series of incidents, including explosions, at military sites and critical infrastructure that Moscow attributes to Ukraine.

For Colonel Michel Goya, BFMTV’s defense advisor, “it is always very difficult to measure the reliability of official Russian information”, “we are seeing an unusual number of fires in ammunition depots, which suggests that a secret Ukrainian action may be involved.” deep local complicity”.

On Monday, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed to have shot down a Ukrainian drone as it approached an airbase in southern Russia in the Saratov region, more than 600 km from Ukraine. According to this source, three people were killed by debris from the drone after it was destroyed.

Russian lawmakers last week passed a new law that provides “long prison sentences” for “saboteurs” and hints at emerging “terrorist” threats, including from foreigners, amid the conflict in Ukraine.