Bryansk governor says FSB thwarted attempt by ‘Ukrainian saboteurs’ to cross into Russian territory

Bryansk Governor Alexander Bogomaz said Thursday that the FSB’s border service prevented an attempt by a “Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group” to cross into Russian territory.

According to Bogomaz, the group consisted of 20 people. He said the incident occurred near the village of Sluchovsk in the region’s Pogarsky District.

“Units of the Russian Armed Forces worked with border troops to inflict fire damage on the enemy,” the governor wrote on Telegram.

Earlier, on March 2, the Russian authorities reported that “Ukrainian sabotage groups” had raided two border villages in the Bryansk region before crossing back into Ukraine. According to local officials, two people were killed and three were injured in the incident. Vladimir Putin called the event a “terrorist attack.”

A group called the Russian Volunteer Corps, which claims to fight on the side of Ukraine, later claimed responsibility for the alleged attack. The group’s leader claimed the operation was approved by the Ukrainian authorities, but Kyiv denied any involvement in the incident.