While War in Ukraine Despite the risk of being forgotten and overshadowed by the turmoil in the Middle East, Kiev is trying to renew its strategy at home and in Russia with typical guerrilla tactics. In these columns in recent months we have repeatedly reported on Ukrainian incursions, particularly by irregular forces, into Russian territory.
Melitopol in the crosshairs?
Today the news came that the police, together with the Russian FSB, had made an arrest that day Melitopol (which we remember has been occupied since March 2022) a 31-year-old Ukrainian citizen who was preparing an attack on a police officer. According to Tass, the man was in contact with the Kiev secret service “to carry out sabotage and terrorist attacks on the territory of the city of Melitopol.” At the moment, Kiev is not commenting on the news of the arrest or denying it, nor are Moscow's succinct showgirls disclosing any further details about the profile of the arrested person. A permissive dog? A man from Kyiv? Or one of the many men in the anti-Putin guerrilla galaxy? At least it's the same thing Melitopol experienced major sabotage operationssuch as the attack on a Russian armored train, but also attacks against Russian forces, such as the murder of a high-ranking Russian officer last May.
Belgorod has been under attack for months
In recent days, Ukrainian sabotage on Russian territory has gained new strength: just the day before yesterday, Russian air defense systems destroyed four Wilkha multiple rocket systems launched from Ukraine over the territory Belgorod, the target of raids since last May. The Russian Defense Ministry said in a brief statement: “On January 2 this year, at around 12 noon, there was an attempt by the Kiev regime to carry out a terrorist attack against targets on the territory of the Russian Federation using the Vilcha multiple rocket system.” . Four missiles were destroyed over the Belgorod region by deployed air defense systems.” The news, immediately reported by Ria Novosti, contrasted with new Russian attacks on Kiev on the same day. Rockets hit several districts of the capital, causing water and power outages.
The Belgorod region continues to be under attack for various reasons, primarily due to the geographical proximity between the two opposing forces, which includes the now famous “Anti-Putin partisans“, amorphous and changing mass to carry out a kind of counter-invasion in episodes. But also part of the communication war between Moscow and Kiev: one must not forget that if Putin had called for an invasion last May, Kiev would have done so immediately, as pointed out the “Russian anti-Putin militias” and in particular on two paramilitary forces: the “Freedom for Russia” Legion and the now well-known formation of the Russian Volunteer Corps, both of which are connected to the media universe Ilya Ponomarev.
Attacks in Crimea and railway sabotage
Kiev has no intention of giving in either Crimea: In fact, in the early hours of the morning, Sevastopol Governor Mikhail Razvozhayev stated on his Telegram channel that the Russian army was repelling an attack by the Ukrainian armed forces. Subsequently, the Russian Defense Ministry stated that “ten Ukrainian missiles were destroyed on the Crimean Peninsula by deployed air defense systems.” According to Moscow, it was an attempt by Kiev to “carry out a terrorist attack using guided missiles from aircraft against targets on the territory of the Russian Federation.”
But Kiev's sabotage appears to be becoming more sophisticated, not just with the intent of triggering psychological war, as in the case of the Drones launched over Moscowbut to meet them strategic supply lines for Russia. In fact, on November 29, some Ukrainian saboteurs managed to plant four explosive devices on a cargo convoy carrying fuel in the Russian Far East. The real goal? Not the convoy's large cargo, but a railway tunnel of vital importance for weapons arriving from ally North Korea. Just two days after the sabotage, another explosion occurred not far from the affected tunnel: in this regard, the battle for the truth about the extent of the damage is still ongoing, but this confirms Kiev's final decision to now opt for guerrilla warfare in the midst of one conflict that has become a huge quagmire for both fronts.