The Russian Defense Ministry, the Federal Security Service (FSB) and the Border Service reported to President Vladimir Putin about an attempt to break into the Belgorod region by Ukrainian saboteurs, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday.
"The Ministry of Defense, the FSB and the Border Service reported to the Russian president ... about an attempt by a Ukrainian sabotage group to break into the Belgorod region. Work is underway to push them out of the Russian territory and destroy this sabotage group. There are enough forces and resources on the spot," Peskov said.
The purpose of sabotage acts, like the one in the Belgorod region, is to divert attention from what is going on in the city of Bakhmut and to minimize the political effect of the loss of city by Kiev, the official added.
Earlier in the day, Belgorod region Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said that a Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group had infiltrated the territory of the Grayvoronsky district of the region.
"A sabotage and reconnaissance group of the Ukrainian armed forces infiltrated the territory of the Grayvoronsky district. The armed forces of Russia, together with the border service, the Russian Guard and the FSB, are taking the necessary measures to eliminate the enemy," Gladkov wrote on Telegram.
The governor of the Belgorod region said three people were hospitalized with shrapnel wounds and a kindergarten caught fire after shelling in the Grayvoronsky district.
The governor added that he would report on the details.
Ukraine has carried out several attacks on the Russian regions along its border, including the Belgorod region, amid Moscow’s special military operation.
In February, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine, after the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR) appealed for help in defending themselves against Ukrainian attacks.