14 Mar 2024 | 05:28 PM UTC
Russia: Military operations ongoing in Tyotkino, Kursk Oblast, and Belgorod Oblast as of March 14 /update 1
Military operations ongoing in Tyotkino, Kursk Oblast, and Belgorod Oblast, Russia, as of March 14. Follow local security advice.
Military operations are ongoing in the border areas of Belgorod Oblast and Kursk Oblast as of March 14. Armed groups allegedly attacked the village of Spodaryushino, Belgorod Oblast, on the morning of March 14; official Russian sources claimed attacking groups had been destroyed as of late afternoon, resulting in the deaths of 195 attackers. It was not immediately clear what group assaulted Spodaryushino; however, the Russian Ministry of Defense claimed that Armed Forces of Ukraine (VSU) personnel carried out the attack.
Ukraine-based Russian separatist groups Freedom of Russia Legion (Svoboda Rossii) and Siberia Battalion (Sibir) claim to have launched a series of assaults on border areas of Kursk and Belgorod oblasts on March 12 and have control of the Tyotkino area since March 13. Reports suggest that attacking groups continue to occupy the village of Tyotkino in Kursk Oblast following clashes with local security forces and the Russian military and intense shelling of the area. Gunfire was reported in the village through the morning of March 14. As of the afternoon of March 14, Russian authorities claim that over 200 attackers and 10 civilians were killed in the assault; however, the number of casualties remains unconfirmed.
Artillery fire, airstrikes, and limited land operations will likely continue near Tyotkino in the coming days. Additional military clashes in other areas of the Kursk and Belgorod oblast border regions are possible. Projectile strikes may cause building damage and civilian casualties. Russian authorities will likely launch counterattacks in the area in the coming hours or days. Counteroffensive operations could prompt increased security and the evacuation of civilians from surrounding areas. Further military operations, including surface-to-air missile launches to defend against drone attacks, are likely.
Avoid travel to active conflict zones in Russia's Kursk and Belgorod oblasts. Consider leaving these areas by available ground transport if safe to do so. Exercise extreme caution if operating anywhere in the region. You should shelter in place if there is fighting or airstrikes in the area. Stay away from windows and exterior walls if officials report incoming rocket or artillery fire. Follow the instructions of local security personnel, especially when instructed to seek refuge in air-raid shelters. Maintain contact with diplomatic representations. Due to the threat of unexploded ordnance, avoid off-road travel. Travel on well-used routes only. Do not approach suspected unexploded ordnance.
The ongoing operations are likely short-lived assaults aimed at prompting a security response from Russian forces in the days leading to Russia's elections, held on March 17. Ukraine-based groups could retreat into Ukraine in the coming days, as they are unlikely to have sufficient firepower and logistics to maintain long-term military operations on Russian territory.
Ukraine-based Russian groups have been active in the context of the Russia-Ukraine conflict since 2022; on May 2023, the Freedom of Russia Legion and Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK), launched two military operations in parts of Belgorod Oblast, reportedly occupying a number of settlements at the Russia-Ukraine border between May 22 and June 15.
