The Legion "Freedom of Russia" said they are planning a "march on Moscow" and aim to "further liberate Russia from Putin," UNN reports with reference to Newsweek.
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Alexei Baranovsky, a volunteer with the Freedom of Russia Legion, call sign "Lyutik," told Newsweek that they intend to eventually "march on Moscow." The goal, he said, is "to further liberate Russia from Putin. We may not be able to achieve that now, but that is our main mission.
The publication notes that the attacks come as Putin prepares for this weekend's presidential election. The vote will also take place on the territories of Ukraine occupied by Moscow's troops during a full-scale invasion since February 2022. Baranovsky noted that the rebel operation was deliberately timed.
"We may not be able to stop the federal elections, but we can disrupt the regional votes, so we are doing our best to bring this 'air of freedom' to at least some parts of the country," he explained, describing the upcoming poll as "Putin's last push to usurp power.
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The Freedom of Russia Legion, the Siberian Battalion and the Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC), volunteer paramilitary groups, launched a two-pronged invasion of Russia's Belgorod and Kursk regions on Tuesday.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported shelling by "Ukrainian terrorist groups" at three points along the border and said that all attacks were repelled.