Anti-Putin paramilitary group says there will be more incursions into Russia

A group claiming to be behind a recent strike in the Russian border region of Belgorod have said they will launch more incursions in future.

Denis Kapustin (also known as Denis Nikitin), the commander of the Russian Volunteer Corps, was speaking on the Ukrainian side of the border with Russia a day after his group claimed to have been behind an armed raid on the Belgorod area.

He said: “I think you will see us again on that side.

“I cannot reveal those upcoming things, I cannot even reveal the direction.

“The… border is pretty long, yet again there will be a spot where things will get hot.”

He said his anti-Putin fighters had held “around 42 square kilometres” of Russian territory “for quite a while”, adding: “We’re fighting for freedom, we’re fighting against injustice, so we’re fighting against torture, we’re fighting against terrible acts of police brutality.”

Russia initially blamed Ukraine for the incursion, and alleged that 70 of the attackers were killed or pushed back.

Mr Kapustin contradicted this, saying two of his fighters were lightly wounded, two were killed and 10 others were wounded.

He said they had also taken a Russian armored vehicle and an anti-drone gun as trophies.