Pro-Kyiv militias, comprised of Russian citizens opposing the Kremlin, launched cross-border raids into Russian territories, claiming to seize control of a village, prompting Moscow to respond with rockets and "flame-throwing." Russia denied the incursions and reported repelling all attacks, with casualties and damage reported in border regions. In a significant escalation, Ukraine launched drone strikes on Russian energy sites, including a major oil refinery, with Russia's Lukoil temporarily suspending operations. Additionally, a Russian military transport plane crashed in the Ivanovo region after an engine fire.
Russian ultranationalists criticize Putin's response to recent drone attacks and border raids, saying he's "out of touch with reality" and questioning if there's a "real plan" to retaliate. Putin has been increasingly fearful for his life since the drone attack, but official responses signal there's little for him to do against Ukraine beyond blasting Ukrainian cities with missiles and drones. The ultranationalists and war-hawks want Russia to escalate its attacks, but the government's responses have been insufficient to satisfy their desire for escalation in the war.
The Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC) commander, Denis Kapustin, has said that his group will launch more incursions into Russian territory from Ukraine. Kapustin's RVC and the allied Freedom of Russia Legion claimed responsibility for the incursion on Monday and Tuesday. The Russian military said that it routed the raiders with artillery and air attacks that killed more than 70 of what it described as "Ukrainian nationalists" on a sabotage mission designed to deflect attention from Russia's gains in the bombed-out city of Bakhmut.
