https://t.me/ukrainian_militant/24592
Ukrainian publics and politicians publish a video of Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers in the village of Poroz in the Belgorod region
Z-publics write about the same thing.
“Under the cover of artillery, the Ukrainian Armed Forces entered the settlement of Poroz, Graivoronsky urban district of the Belgorod region,” the Russian military channel “Zapiski Veterana” wrote on the morning of August 10.
The date the video was filmed is unknown.
https://t.me/noel_reports/15542
More confirmation on Poroz.
“Poroz. Graivoron city district. The video of the Khokhls (ethnic slur for Ukrainians) with the DRG is true. Locals talk about two civilian hostages.”
Belgorod is the oblast next to Kursk. Its both a separate region and an extension of the Kursk incursion. Part of what I’m reading in other places is that the stunning success of this operation can partially be accounted to Russian partisans treating the Ukrainian forces as liberators and sabotaging Russia’s ability to reinforce in the region. By expanding the zone of control, Ukraine is solidifying their territorial gains. I don’t know what comes next, but it seems like almost no one, not even many Ukrainians, thought they had this in them. Russia has been caught severely with its pants down and Ukraine has shown that they have much more fight in them left than many realized.
Their situation remains precarious as an entire nation, but it seems that Russia’s situation was far more precarious than anyone outside of Ukraine’s inner circle realized. Further, this is a true win for Ukrainian intelligence. No one knew. The only people who did were local Russian military intelligence people who either didn’t properly report what they were seeing, or weren’t listened to. It seems clear from this that Ukraine’s intelligence mechanisms are accurate and devoid of leaks. I don’t know that any other nation can truly say that. That to me is the most stunning part of this.
I feel it’s more realistic that they can maintain good opsec and use obfuscation and misdirection to cover the slips. I know that sounds pedantic, but the last few feet are the most crucial, and something will always leak. The key is to mix the real leaks with false ones, so they get lost in the noise.
All speculation, but I bet other rotated units have been sent to this area in the past, and other potential incursion points, to make it seem a safe recovery zone and nothing odd was happening. They probably have the russian liberation group specifically training somewhere else near the boarder. I know none of us are planning invasions of the porous boarders of our paper tiger neighbors, but this can apply to regular life as well.
Thanks for the comments. By separate incursion, I mean - are they entering Russia through a completely separate area of the Russian border? It is it an offshoot of the other forces, entering Belgorod through Russian territory.
This really does change the strategy of the whole war, especially if they can hold it even expand their the gains.
I would also imagine other countries bordering Russia might take notice.
It would be kinda funny if Finland started moving stuff toward the border near St. Petersburg, just to troll putin / make him waste resources in kind.
Russia has left the border with Finland undefended for at least a year…