Fighting in Russia as Ukraine 'sabotage' group crosses border

Moscow said Monday that its troops were battling a Ukrainian "sabotage" group that infiltrated the southern Russian region of Belgorod as locals fled the latest bout of fighting in the troubled territory.

In a first since the start of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russian authorities introduced an "anti-terror regime" in Belgorod.

Since the start of the war, the region bordering Ukraine has been repeatedly shelled in attacks that have killed dozens of people, and the region's main city was struck in April by a Russian fighter jet that dropped ammunition over Belgorod by accident.

In the latest incursion, members of a "sabotage" group crossed over from Ukraine, Russian authorities said, adding that President Vladimir Putin had been notified.

Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said eight people had been injured, adding that authorities were helping people leave the scene of the fighting.

The announcement came as Russian forces pummelled the eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro with missiles and drones overnight, while Kiev insisted it was still fighting for control of the flashpoint eastern city of Bakhmut.

"The situation here continues to be extremely tense," Gladkov said, adding that authorities were going door to door to notify local residents.

"Most of the population left the territory," he said. "I hope that our military will complete their task in the nearest future."

The "anti-terror regime" introduced in the southern region gives special powers to security services and entails the enforcement of a number of restrictions and measures including beefed-up security and communications surveillance.

A similar regime was in place in Chechnya between 1999 and 2009, when Russian authorities battled...