Fighting and gray zone: Progress of volunteer units' raid in Russia and position of Russian Volunteer Corps

Combat and gray zones

According to published reports from fighters, fighting continues in the town of Tyotkino in the Kursk region. Today, insurgents released footage of the destruction of a Russian army warehouse there.

Meanwhile, the gray zone has expanded to the town of Gorky in the Belgorod region. On the morning of March 17, the Siberian Battalion reported that fighters and Ichkeria volunteers entered the town and seized the administrative building. A few hours later, insurgents announced that the settlement had come under their control. A video recording supported the information.

The military-political observer Alexander Kovalenko noted that this settlement is located about 1.5 kilometers from the border with Ukraine and serves as the crossroads for two rural roads and a railway.

The expert wrote, "Unlike the main pressure through Kozinka towards Grayvoron, Gorkovsky is a separate location that may not only become a border outpost in perspective but also a springboard for cutting off the 14K-4 (a regional road of regional significance in the Belgorod region: Belgorod—Grayvoron—Kozinka—ed.)".

In addition, it became known that Russian volunteers raised flags over the village of Kozinka in the Belgorod region. This was reported yesterday by fighters of the Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC) and the Siberian Battalion.

"A limited special operation of volunteer forces on the territory of the Russian Federation continues. The flags of the Siberian Battalion and RVC in the village of Kozinka, Russian Federation," Russian volunteers reported, publishing the corresponding photo.

Photo: Russian rebels raise flags in Kozinka, Belgorod region (photo: t.me/SiberianBattalion)

Considering the above, the map of the so-called gray zones along the Russian border continues to expand. Recently, the settlement of Gorkovsky has been added, covering an area of ​​9.84 square kilometers. These gray zones in the Belgorod and Kursk regions cover nearly 51.64 square kilometers. Namely:

• Tyotkino (Kursk region) - 11.29 sq. km;
• Glotovo / Kozinka (Belgorod region) - 14.88 sq. km;
• Gorkovsky (Belgorod region) - 9.84 sq. km;
• Lozovaya Rudka (Belgorod region) - 0.34 sq. km;
• Nekhoteyevka (Belgorod region) - 1.57 sq. km;
• Novaya Tavolzhanka (Belgorod region) - 13.72 sq. km.

Photo: gray zones in Belgorod and Kursk regions (DeepStateMap)

Losses of the Russian Federation

Also, Russian volunteers announced losses of the Russian Armed Forces in the Kursk and Belgorod regions from March 12 to 18. It is noted that 613 servicemen of the Russian army were killed, 829 were wounded, and 27 Russians were taken prisoner. Over 130 pieces of equipment were destroyed.

Personnel:

• irretrievable losses: 613 servicemen
• medical losses: 829 servicemen
• taken prisoner: 27 servicemen

Destroyed equipment:

• 7 tanks (including three T-72s, one T-72BZ)
• 20 BMPs (including BMP-2, BMP-3)
• 6 D-30 howitzers
• 4 APCs
• 4 mortars
• 2 MT-12 Rapira
• 2 2S19 Msta-S
• 2 ZALA UAVs
• 1 BM 21 Grad
• 1 AGS
• 1 Murmansk complex
• 1 REB station
• 1 repeater
• 2 units of armored vehicle equipment
• 2 units of engineering equipment (excavators)
• 57 units of various automotive equipment (heavy and light)

Equipment out of order:

• 1 tank T-80PVM
• 1 T-72 tank
• 1 BMP
• 1 BM 21 Grad
• 2 MT-LBs
• 1 Msta-B
• 1 TOS-2
• 1 BM 21 Grad
• 1 2S1 Gvozdika
• 1 REB station
• 1 armored vehicle
• 20 units of various automotive equipment (heavy and light)

"Also destroyed or damaged were personnel concentration areas, ammunition depots, dugouts, towers with antenna complexes, fortifications, video surveillance cameras, cell phone communication stations, a bridge in the settlement of Gorkovsky, etc." - reported the Freedom of Russia Legion.

As noted by Freedom of Russia Legion, against the backdrop of the successful raid by Russian volunteers on the territory of the Russian Federation, "the biggest damage was suffered by Putin's image as a figure who supposedly can control the situation in the country."

Furthermore, today, fighters of the Siberian Battalion successfully struck one of the Russian tanks in the settlement of Zamostie.

In turn, the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine confirmed these data regarding the losses of the Russian army.

"The Freedom of Russia Legion, Russian Volunteer Corps announced losses of the enemy for this period. We can confirm them... These are serious losses in an area that has long been declared by the enemy as 'closed,' 'protected,' and where everything was supposed to be 'fine,'" said the representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Andrii Yusov, in a comment to RBC-Ukraine during a telethon.

Background

The raid of the Russian Volunteer Corps, the Freedom of Russia Legion, and the Siberian Battalion on the border territories with Ukraine in Russia began on March 12. These are autonomous units of anti-Putin-minded Russian citizens fighting against Russia on the side of Ukraine.

During the practically week-long battles, some territories along the Russian border are controlled by insurgents. In addition, in the Kursk and Belgorod regions, insurgents occasionally declare humanitarian corridors for the evacuation of the population.

Meanwhile, the city of Belgorod has practically ceased to function normally. Due to constant shelling, shopping malls and cafes are closing there, explosions are constantly heard, and schools have already temporarily switched to distance learning.

Currently, the situation continues to develop dynamically. Volunteers say they have no intention of stopping.

The Chief of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov, noted that the operation of the Russian Volunteer Corps, Freedom of Russia Legion, and the Siberian Battalion in the Russian border areas is just the beginning of their fight for their country.