The governor of Russia’s Belgorod region said today that a “saboteur group” of the Ukrainian army entered Russian territory in the district of Grayvaron on the border with Ukraine.

Speaking on Telegram, Vychislav Gladkov said the Russian military and security forces were taking measures to prevent the invasion.

Gladkoff said civilians were not harmed and residents are not being evacuated.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russian President Vladimir Putin had been informed of the invasion and that steps were being taken to repel the “saboteurs,” Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported.

Earlier, the Baza Telegram channel, which is associated with Russian intelligence services, published a video showing a Ukrainian tank attacking a Russian border post.

It also said there were signs of fighting in three settlements on the main road leading from Ukraine to Russia. The “Open Belgorod” channel on Telegram reported that electricity and water supply were cut off in some villages.

Ukrainian media, citing the intelligence services of the Ukrainian military, reported that fighters from the “Freedom in Russia” legion and the “Russian Volunteer Corps” were behind the attacks in Belgorod.

The group called the “Freedom in Russia” legion, which claims to be planning attacks inside Russia, said on Twitter that it had “completely liberated” the border town of Kozinka and that its groups are in the center of the Graivoron district, towards east.

“We are moving forward, Russia will be free!” she wrote in her post.

Earlier today the group released a video showing five heavily armed militants. “We are Russians like you. We are people just like you. We want our children to grow up in peace” says one of the fighters in front of the camera. “The time has come to put an end to the Kremlin’s dictatorship.”

Reuters was unable to immediately confirm these reports

Kyiv: we have nothing to do with the business

A senior adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kiev had nothing to do with an armed operation in Russia’s Belgorod region.

“Ukraine is following the events in Russia’s Belgorod region with interest and is studying the situation, but has nothing to do with them,” presidential adviser Mykhailo Podoliak tweeted. “As you know, tanks are sold in every Russian military depot, and the rebel groups operating underground are made up of Russian citizens.”

The Legion “Freedom in Russia” and the “Corps of Russian Volunteers” are conducting an operation on the territory of the Belgorod region, said the representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine Andrey Yusov.

According to him, the operation is being conducted “exclusively by Russian citizens” to create “security zones” on the territory of the Belgorod region.

The “Freedom in Russia” legion and the “Russian Volunteer Corps” are volunteer military units made up of Russian citizens fighting alongside the Ukrainian army.