Ukraine’s Sabotage Group Moves in Belgorod Region; Local Authorities Report on Impact and Security Measures
The sabotage and reconnaissance group of the Ukrainian armed forces reportedly entered the Graivoron urban district, according to statements shared on the Telegram channel of Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of Belgorod region.
Gladkov said that Russian forces, including border service units, the Russian Guard, and the FSB, are taking necessary measures to neutralize the threat and that he would publish further details later.
He noted that Graivoron had been under Ukrainian shelling since 9:00 Moscow time. Graivoron is the westernmost town in Belgorod region, with its administrative center approximately 7 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.
Earlier, Gladkov indicated that the Graivoronsky urban district faced repeated shelling from Ukrainian armed forces beginning at 9:00 Moscow time. The district hosts a border checkpoint. He reported that two residents were hospitalized after the village of Glotovo was struck in the Graivoronsky district of Ukraine. One person was described as moderately injured, the other as severely injured, with urgent care provided in the district’s intensive care unit.
Prior reports from the Mash Telegram channel stated that Ukrainian forces conducted a large-scale bombardment of the villages of Novostroevka-Pervaya, Kozinka, Bezymeno, Dobroye, Glotovo, and Golovchino. The channel claimed a civilian death; Gladkov, however, asserted that no fatalities or injuries occurred.
On May 22, the Ukrainian army was also said to have struck the Volokonovsky district, damaging a power line. The governor commented that no local residents were hurt. The outages affected the Tishanka village and Shakhovka farm, with repair crews expected to begin work, and electricians reported en route to the site.
Gladkov also dismissed rumors about evacuations from the Shebekinsky urban district as false. He described the spread of such information as a major information attack on Belgorod region, promising to provide clear updates as events unfolded and noting that deterioration would be followed by recovery efforts.
RIA Novosti reported remarks from Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin press secretary, who framed the Ukrainian saboteurs’ actions as efforts to divert attention from the Bakhmut direction and to minimize the political impact of Kyiv’s loss of Artemovsk. Peskov said those events had been reported to President Vladimir Putin.
Belgorod authorities confirmed that an air defense system was active in the region and successfully intercepted a Ukrainian missile on May 22. In a localized incident, parts of the missile reportedly fell into a private garden in the village of Antonovka.
On May 21, Gladkov reported additional shelling near the border settlements of Tishanka and Novaya Tavolzhanka, with no injuries but several houses damaged. He also noted that a drone belonging to the Ukrainian armed forces dropped a bomb on the administrative building of Golovchino, causing a roof fire but no casualties. In the past 24 hours, the Belgorod region experienced more than a hundred separate strikes by Ukrainian forces according to Gladkov.
The Russian Ministry of Defense later claimed that Russian troops stopped three Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance groups in the Kharkiv region, with clashes occurring in Timkovka, Ivanovka, and Kislovka. Earlier reports from the SHOT Telegram channel indicated that about 20 saboteurs tried to breach Belgorod region; Russian border guards repelled the attempt, and the Ukrainian DRG withdrew after concentrated fire from the FSB Border Service.
Overall, the region has faced intensified activity along the border, with local authorities stressing vigilance and preparedness while continuing repair and relief operations for affected communities and infrastructure.