Because of “daily terrorist attacks”
Russia is arming militias in border areas
8/2/2023 8:53 p.m
There are regular attacks in the Belgorod region near the Ukrainian border. Paramilitary units, believed to be from Russia, are fighting Kremlin troops there. They should now get support from volunteer militias who are being prepared for battle.
In Russia, the governors of the Kursk and Belgorod regions bordering Ukraine have announced the arming of “people’s militias” to defend against attackers from Ukraine. This is happening because his region has been hit “almost daily” by “terrorist attacks coming from Ukraine” for months, Kursk Governor Roman Starovoyt explained in the online service Telegram.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the equipment provided to the militias “legal” and “necessary” given the “assassination attempts” being carried out from within Ukraine. Starovoit said that after “several months” of work on the “issue of arming the voluntary people’s militias,” “a mechanism has been found” and the first “delivery has arrived at the base.” In the “near future” the number of weapons for the militia will be increased to 300, the governor added.
Modeled on similar Soviet-era units, the volunteer militias were formed in the Kursk region in December to provide “additional support” to the military, national guard, police and border guards, according to Governor Starovoyt. The border region is hit “almost daily” by “terrorist attacks from Ukraine”.
Peskov: “In accordance with the law”
According to local media, the governor of Belgorod, Vyacheslav Gladkov, personally handed over weapons to militias at a public ceremony. Pictures showed how fighters are first called by name and then each of them is given an automatic rifle. “Volunteer militias” were formed in the Belgorod region in the first few weeks after the start of the Russian offensive in Ukraine.
Kremlin spokesman Peskov told journalists that everything would be “implemented in accordance with the law”. These are “measures that are necessary against the background of attacks and assassinations carried out from Ukrainian territory”.
The Russian regions bordering Ukraine have been regularly attacked with drones for months. Russia accuses the Ukrainian government of being behind it. Combat operations and bombing raids have already reached several Russian towns near the border. In early June, fighters claiming to be Russians fighting alongside Ukraine entered the Belgorod region and engaged in fierce battles with Russian forces.