Ukraine war: Saboteurs cross into Russia's Belgorod, governor says

A group of saboteurs has crossed from Ukraine into Russia's Belgorod region, with resulting clashes injuring several people, the Russian authorities say.

Local governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said Russian forces were searching for the group, which he said had attacked Grayvoronsky district by the border.

Vladimir Putin's spokesman said the Russian president had been informed.

Ukraine denies responsibility and said Russian citizens from two paramilitary groups were behind the attack.

Belgorod governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said six people had been injured, including two people admitted to hospital after the village of Glotovo was shelled and three people who had suffered shrapnel wounds in the town of Grayvoron.

Fighting had also damaged three houses and a local administrative building, he said.

Kyiv said those behind the ongoing incident were from groups called the Liberty of Russia Legion and the Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC).

The Liberty of Russia Legion - a Ukraine-based Russian militia which says it is working inside Russia to overthrow President Putin - said on Twitter on Monday it had "completely liberated" the border town of Kozinka. It said forward units had reached the town of Grayvoron, further east.

However Mr Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian news agencies that efforts were underway to eliminate the sabotage group, and said its purpose was to draw attention away from the eastern Ukrainian town of Bakhmut - which a Russian mercenary group claims to have taken control of after months of intense and bloody fighting.

"We perfectly understand the purpose of such sabotage - to divert attention from the Bakhmut direction, to minimise the political effect of the loss of Artemovsk [Bakhmut] by the Ukrainian side," he said.

Kyiv says it still controls parts of the city.

Ukrainian presidential advisor Mikhaylo Podolyak said his country was watching events in Belgorod "with interest", but "has nothing to do with it".

"As you know, tanks are sold at any Russian military store, and underground guerrilla groups are composed of Russian citizens," he added.

Ukraine has previously denied responsibility for reported sabotage attacks on Russian territory.

The latest incident comes ahead of a widely expected counter offensive by Kyiv against invading Russian forces.

In April, Russia accidentally dropped a bomb on the city of Belgorod, which lies 40 km (25 miles) north of the border with Ukraine.

More than 3,000 people were evacuated from their homes after an undetonated explosive was found days later.