What the Belgorod raids revealed by 7 June 2023

What did the early days of June 2023 show about pressure on Russia's border and front line? By 7 June 2023, two separate episodes reported two days earlier, on 5 June, pointed to strain on different sides of the war.

The first was in Belgorod region. On 5 June, the Russian Volunteer Corps claimed to have captured the village of Novaya Tavolzhanka. The region's governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said about 100 civilians were still trapped there and could not be evacuated because of continued shelling.

The claim followed a larger operation. On 22 May 2023, armed groups from Ukraine carried out a cross-border raid into Belgorod Oblast. Two Russian rebel groups based in Ukraine, the Freedom of Russia Legion and the Russian Volunteer Corps, said they had taken control of several border settlements and clashed with Russian government forces. The Polish Volunteer Corps also took part. Russian authorities described the attacks as the work of a Ukrainian "sabotage group" and imposed counter-terrorism measures in the region. It was the largest cross-border attack since the invasion began on 24 February 2022.

The second episode concerned Bakhmut. Also on 5 June, Wagner Group mercenaries published a video of a captured Russian commander. In it, he claimed to have ordered his troops to fire on a Wagner convoy leaving Bakhmut.

Why it mattered

Taken together, the two reports showed fighting touching Russian territory, with civilians stranded under shelling, and an accusation of fire between Russian forces and Wagner fighters leaving Bakhmut. The commander's claim appeared in a video released by Wagner itself.