While the world is waiting for Ukraine’s spring offensive, something very different happened this morning: an incursion into Russian territory. The soldiers involved are not from the Ukrainian army, but two legions of exiled Russians (including soldiers who defected from Russian forces) allied with Ukraine but are not part of Kyiv’s official military command.

While Ukraine is not claiming responsibility, it’s hardly condemning the raid

The ‘Russian Volunteer Corps’ and the ‘Free Russia Legion’, both expat legions based in Ukraine, are moving towards Russian towns in the Belgorod region (north of Kharkiv) and have so far claimed to have ‘liberated’ the village of Kozinka and captured the town hall in the village of Gora-Podol. As of 1.30 p.m. London time they reportedly entered the Grayvoronsky district. Vladimir Putin’s press secretary said he has informed the Russian President, and that Russia has enough forces to stop them. They carried out similar incursions in March but were forced back.

While Ukraine is not claiming responsibility, it’s hardly condemning the raid. Ukrainian intelligence today said that both legions have ‘conducted an operation on the territory of the Belgorod region to create a “security zone” to protect Ukrainian civilians’. The legions have asked residents of Russian border regions to stay at home and ‘not resist’. Social media purports to show a tank under the Ukrainian flag entering a Russian checkpoint. Another video, probably filmed inside the checkpoint building itself, showed the body of a slain Russian serviceman. These are just a few hours old so the authenticity of the videos has not been confirmed. The Russian governor of the Belgorod region has blamed a Ukrainian ‘sabotage-reconnaissance group’ and said Russian troops are trying to fight them.

The fact that the two legions were able to cross the border so easily via tanks underlines the dire state of Russia’s border defences. The fighters say their aim is to create a demilitarised buffer zone around Ukraine so Russian military cannot reach it: quite an ambition. They’re more likely to kicked out by Russian forces before too long. The exercise will, in effect, be a stunt: aimed at destabilising the Kremlin and highlighting Russian vulnerability.

So far there have been several Ukrainian drone attacks on targets in Russia, but no Ukrainian troops entering Russian soil. Technically, these legions are not Ukrainian (even though they fight under its flag) but it’s unlikely that Vladimir Putin will draw a distinction. This could be a distraction ahead of a counter-offensive in Ukraine, or something else: it’s hard to tell. But we’ll bring you more as it happens.