2023 Belgorod Oblast incursions

2023 Belgorod Oblast incursions
	Part of the attacks in western Russia during the Russian invasion of Ukraine
	; Reported extent of territorial control during the raids
Date	First raid: 22–23 May 2023; (1 day); Second raid: 1–15 June 2023; (2 weeks); Sporadic incursions: 17 June–17 December 2023 (6 months)
Location	Grayvoronsky and Shebekinsky districts, Belgorod Oblast, Russia50°29′N 35°40′E
Result	First raid: Inconclusive Pro-Ukrainian forces withdraw from Russian territory; Second raid: Inconclusive Pro-government sources claim anti-government forces removed from oblast on June 15, anti-government forces continue to shell the oblast;
Belligerents
Russian opposition; Various Belarusian, Polish, and Chechen militant groups Ukraine (alleged by Russia, denied by Ukraine)	Russia
Commanders and leaders
Maximilian Andronnikov; Denis Kapustin; Daniil "Puck" Maznik †	Aleksandr Lapin; Andrey Stesev †
Units involved
Freedom of Russia Legion; Russian Volunteer Corps; Polish Volunteer Corps; After June 2023:; Belarusian Volunteer Corps Terror Battalion; Separate Special Purpose Battalion	Russian Armed Forces; Federal Security Service Border Service; Police of Russia National Guard
Strength
~80–500 fighters; 1+ tank(s); 3+ armoured vehicles	Multiple helicopters
Casualties and losses
Per Russia:; 100+ killed; 1 unmanned aerial vehicle shot down; 4 armoured fighting vehicles destroyed; 5 pickup trucks destroyed; Per FRL/RVC:; 2 killed, 10 wounded; 1 killed, 2 wounded	Per Russia:; 14+ servicemen killed; Per RVC:; several personnel captured in May; 1 border guard killed; 1 armoured personnel vehicle captured ; 12+ personnel captured in June
	Per Russia: 13 civilians killed; 50 civilians wounded; Thousands of civilians evacuated

On 22 May 2023, armed groups from Ukraine carried out a cross-border raid into Belgorod Oblast, Russia. Two Russian rebel groups allied with and based in Ukraine—the Freedom of Russia Legion (FRL) and the Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC)—claimed to have taken control of several border settlements, and clashed with Russian government forces. The Polish Volunteer Corps participated in the raid. Russian authorities said the attacks were conducted by a Ukrainian "sabotage group", and imposed counter-terrorism measures in the region. It is the largest cross-border attack during the war since the initial beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022.

On 1 June, another incursion began near the town of Shebekino, with the RVC announcing that the promised "second phase" of the fighting had begun. This time, the Belarusian volunteer Terror Battalion participated in the raid. A spokesman for the Freedom of Russia Legion said their goals were to draw Russian troops away from other parts of the front, and to encourage rebellion against the Russian government. On 12 March 2024, Russian rebels launched another major cross-border operation in Belgorod and Kursk Oblasts.

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