The governor of Russia’s Belgorod region on Tuesday warned evacuees not to return home amid a rebellion by pro-Ukrainian partisans who late on Monday began attacking government buildings with drones and claimed to have “liberated” at least one village in the region, the Guardian reports.
“For now you should not return to your homes,” Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said in a Telegram video, while also claiming Russian police and military forces had been successful in repelling the attack near the Ukrainian border and were merely “mopping up” the fighters from the Freedom of Russia Legion. Pro-Kremlin propagandist bloggers echoed with claims of serious casualties for the partisans, naturally none of it could be independently verified with photographic evidence.
“We are the same Russians as you. We are distinguished only by the fact that we no longer wanted to justify the actions of criminals in power and took up arms to defend our and your freedom. But today it’s time for everyone to take responsibility for their future. It’s time to put an end to the Kremlin’s dictatorship,” said a social media statement attributed to the Freedom of Russia Legion.