The Russian military, border guards and other units of the Federal Security Service (FSB) repelled three attacks by Ukrainian terrorists in the amount of up to two motorized infantry companies with tanks in the direction of Belgorod region's town of Shebekino, an attempted terrorist attack was thwarted, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Thursday.
According to the ministry, at about 03:00 am Moscow time (GMT 00:00), after intensive shelling of civilian facilities in the Belgorod Region, Ukrainian companies attempted to invade the Russian territory near the settlement of Novaya Tavolzhanka and the Shebekino international automobile checkpoint.
"Three attacks by Ukrainian terrorist groups were repulsed by the selfless actions of the Russian military," the ministry said.
It also stressed that "the army aviation of the Western Military District inflicted eleven strikes on the enemy, rocket division and artillery carried out 77 fire missions, two strikes were delivered by heavy flamethrower systems."
"As a result of the active actions of the units covering the state border of the Western Military District and the FSB of Russia, the terrorist formations of the Kiev regime, having suffered significant losses, were driven back. Violations of the state border were not allowed," the ministry said, adding that the enemy lost "30 terrorists, four armored fighting vehicles, Grad MLRS combat vehicle, one pickup truck."
Earlier, the region's governor Gladkov said that in the town Shebekino, a hostel is on fire from a direct hit by shells, there is destruction in the administration building, there is no electricity in the city, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said. According to him, "AFU shelled Shebekino with Grad shells.