Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov of Russia’s Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, said on May 24 that law enforcement agencies were still conducting raids in border areas after being attacked by a group of saboteurs on May 22, according to TASS.
"More than 550 people from the Grayvoron district are taking shelter in shelters in Stary Oskol, Rakitnoye, Ivna and Stroitel. I hope you will be able to return home soon, as soon as law enforcement officers clear the area," Gladkov wrote on Telegram.
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The Russian side said the raid on May 22 left at least one person dead. Nine people are still being treated in hospital, three of them in critical condition.
Russia accused Ukraine of carrying out the attack, but Kyiv denied it.
Mr Gladkov also said that many unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) continued to attack Belgorod last night, but the air defense system had intercepted most of the targets and there were no casualties. However, many houses, offices and vehicles were damaged. A gas pipeline in Grayvoron was broken while many areas were without electricity. Mr Gladkov said that power would be restored by the end of the day on May 24, according to Reuters.
Military vehicles left behind after the attack in Belgorod on May 22.
In a related development, the Kremlin said reports that the force carrying out the raid used Western-made military vehicles were consistent with the West's growing involvement in the Ukraine conflict.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it was obvious that Ukraine was receiving more and more military equipment from the West.
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Earlier, images broadcast by Russian media showed US-made military vehicles being destroyed after Russian armed forces stopped the attackers in Belgorod.
The Russian military said it had killed 70 militants and pushed the rest back into Ukraine. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on May 24 that Moscow would respond with the same force to future attacks as it did in the recent incident.
Russia says it's too early for peace talks
On the other hand, Mr. Peskov told TASS on May 24 that it was too early to talk about a peaceful solution to the conflict in Ukraine because the prerequisites had not yet occurred.
Specifically, when asked which option Russia prioritizes among the reconciliation plans proposed by the countries, Mr. Peskov replied: "It's too early to talk about it. There are no prerequisites for the peace process ready. That's clear. The special military campaign continues."
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The official also affirmed that it is unlikely to negotiate with the current government in Ukraine because negotiations with Russia are banned by Kyiv.
Russia will consider F-16 as a valid target
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on May 24 that any US-made F-16 fighter jets supplied to Ukraine would become a legitimate target for the Russian military.
The Pentagon said on May 23 that it was still discussing with international partners who would provide the aircraft to Ukraine, how they would be provided, and when pilot training would begin. However, the US military confirmed that pilot training would take place in Europe.
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Kyiv-based military analyst Igor Romanenko said the deployment of up to 200 F-16s would change the situation in Ukraine. US Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said it would take several months for Ukraine to receive the aircraft.
However, Russian military expert Yury Knutov, director of the Russian Air Defense Museum, said that the F-16 could pose some challenges to Russia but was not a weapon that could change the course of the conflict. "We have Su-35 aircraft that can shoot down aircraft more advanced than the F-16 at long range. Moreover, our pilots can detect them from a distance before they are detected. There are also anti-aircraft missile systems capable of shooting down enemy targets at long distances," Knutov told Nezavisimaya Gazeta .
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Russian aircraft intercept US bombers in Baltic Sea
The Russian Defense Ministry announced on May 23 that it had dispatched a Su-27 fighter jet to "prevent a violation of the state border" by two US B-1 bombers in the Baltic Sea.
Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Pat Ryder confirmed that the US aircraft had been intercepted by Russian fighter jets. He said the B-1 bombers were taking part in a “long-planned exercise in Europe”.
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