"Ukraine Official Reports Active Combat Zones in Two Russian Border Regions"
A senior Ukrainian intelligence official stated that armed groups, described as Russians opposed to the Kremlin, have turned two border regions into "active combat zones," while the governor of one of the Russian regions hit by the attacks claimed that hostile troops were no longer present. Three Ukraine-based groups issued statements about armed operations in Belgorod and Kursk regions, urging residents to evacuate for their safety. Russian military bloggers reported Russian paratroops being dispatched to the affected areas, and Russian officials have previously portrayed these groups as puppets of the Ukrainian military and the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency.