The Russian Air Force has carried out airstrikes on its own territory near the border with Ukraine, as revealed in a video that emerged amid escalating tensions fuelled by a multi-pronged incursion by Russian defectors now serving with the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

The video, shared by Andriy Tsaplienko, a Ukrainian journalist, captured an explosion on Friday following a cross-border raid by three Ukraine-aligned volunteer military units: the Freedom of Russia Legion, Siberian Battalion, and the Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK). These incursions targeted Russia’s southern Belgorod and Kursk regions.

The Freedom of Russia Legion, which emerged shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, along with the RDK, has repeatedly entered Russia’s Belgorod region throughout the conflict.

Joining them for the first time this week, the Siberian Battalion, formed in October 2023, heightened tensions in the region.

One volunteer fighter, Alexei Baranovsky, using the call sign “Lutik,” disclosed to Newsweek their intentions to advance towards Moscow, aiming for the liberation of Russia from Putin’s regime.

“We may not be able to pull it off now, but that is our overarching mission,” Baranovsky stated.

The aerial footage shared by Tsaplienko depicts explosions hitting a building, with thick plumes of smoke engulfing the area afterward.

While the authenticity of the footage couldn’t be independently verified by Newsweek, inquiries have been made to Russia’s Defence Ministry for clarification.

The ministry, in response, asserted that “more than 50 saboteurs” were killed during the groups’ attempt to breach the Belgorod region.

In an official statement released on its Telegram channel, the Russian defence ministry declared that the military had “foiled another attempt” by these groups to breach territory in the Belgorod region, noting that they had begun to retreat into Ukrainian territory.

Simultaneously, the Freedom of Russia Legion, the Siberian Battalion, and the RDK issued a joint statement announcing plans for a “massive attack” on military targets in the city of Belgorod. Urging local residents to seek shelter immediately, the statement underscored the gravity of the situation and implored citizens to remain in safe locations until the attack subsided.

Citing the necessity of halting the shelling of Ukrainian territory from Belgorod, the military units emphasized the civilian toll, particularly on women and children. They asserted that their actions were a response to the ongoing casualties inflicted by shelling originating from Belgorod.