Clashes between Russian armed forces and pro-Ukrainian fighters inside Russia have led to the deaths of at least two civilians, reports suggest, with both sides blaming each other for the casualties. On Friday, the Freedom of Russia Legion wrote on its Telegram channel that it was engaging in “active battles” in the Belgorod region. “Near Tavolzhanka, the enemy destroyed a Renault car with civilians, mistaking it for a car with our sabotage group,” an update read. “At least two civilians were killed and this is a direct consequence of the unprofessionalism of Putin’s army.” Separately Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of the Belgorod region, on Friday blamed the “Armed Forces of Ukraine” for a fatal shelling that he said took place in the village of Maslova Pristan. “Shell fragments hit cars passing by,” Gladkov wrote. “Two women were traveling in one of them, they died on the spot from their injuries.” He added that two other people were wounded and taken to the hospital in “serious condition.” Earlier on Friday, Gladkov said that more than 2,500 people are now in “temporary accommodation centers” amid the fighting in Belgorod.
