Ukraine posts video of commando attack in Russian territory

Ukrainian intelligence released a video showing its commandos infiltrating Russia's border province of Belgorod and attacking an enemy outpost.

Ukraine's Main Directorate of Defense Intelligence (GUR) said on January 5 that the infiltration operation was planned when they received information that some Russian military commanders were preparing to visit some bases in Belgorod province to check the living conditions of soldiers.

"In order to cause damage and undermine the enemy's will to fight, GUR special forces prepared a special operation," the agency said, adding that the infiltration operation was carried out at a time when Russian forces in Belgorod were busy preparing to receive their superiors.

GUR said that during the operation, Ukrainian forces used small arms and mortars to attack a Russian platoon outpost, and also detonated mines on the only road in the area, causing damage to the enemy. "The number of Russian soldiers killed and wounded is being determined," GUR said.

Ukrainian commandos infiltrate Russian territory — Ukrainian commandos entered Russia's Belgorod province on January 5. Video: *GUR*

The video, which was posted by the agency, shows the operation taking place in broad daylight. The video begins with Ukrainian commandos moving onto a dirt road and digging a hole to plant an anti-tank mine, which appears to be a French-made HPD-1 or HPD-2.

The video then shows the commandos attacking a Russian military outpost, with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) equipped with infrared cameras used to observe the enemy. The final part of the video shows several explosions in what appears to be the Russian outpost, possibly a mortar attack by Ukrainian commandos.

The Russian Defense Ministry has not commented on the information.

Belgorod, a region of about 1.5 million people, has been regularly targeted by Ukrainian artillery and drone attacks since the start of the conflict. The recent surge in attacks is in response to a series of large-scale Russian raids on Ukrainian territory, according to Kiev officials.

The Russian Defense Ministry announced on January 2 that its air defenses had shot down a total of two Ukrainian ballistic missiles and 24 rockets aimed at Belgorod. Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said the same day that the Ukrainian attacks had killed one person and injured 11 others, and damaged dozens of houses, many apartments and apartment buildings, a number of economic establishments and cars.

The province was also attacked by Kiev with rockets three days ago, killing 24 people and injuring more than 100. Belogrod has also been infiltrated many times by the pro-Ukrainian armed group Free Russian Legion (FTL), most recently on December 17 last year.

Ukrainian soldiers in Zaporizhzhia on August 19, 2023. Photo: Reuters — Ukrainian soldiers in Zaporizhzhia on August 19, 2023. Photo: *Reuters*

Belgorod Oblast is not the only region recently targeted by the GUR. On January 4, the agency posted a video of its spies burning a Su-34 fighter bomber at the Shagol military airport in the city of Chelyabinsk, the capital of the Russian Oblast of the same name, nearly 2,000 km from the Ukrainian border.

Ukrainian forces also conducted several raids into the Russian-controlled Crimean peninsula last year, but these operations were seen as largely symbolic and of little military benefit.