War on Russian soil: pro-Ukrainian battalions call on residents of Kursk, Belgorod regions to evacuate

This was reported by the Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK) on Telegram. 

"The RDK has crossed the border of the Russian Federation once again. Our task is to tell the citizens of the Russian Federation that they are ruled by an illegitimate president and after the next circus "elections" he will continue to rule them for another 6 years, and maybe more: until his death. Our task is to speed up not only Putin's death but also the death of his entire bloody Kremlin regime," the statement reads.  

At the same time, the Freedom of Russia Legion reported the destruction of one of the Russian Armed Forces' command centers.

At 9:48 a.m., the Freedom of Russia Legion stated that fighters were fighting in the village of Tyotkino, part of which was already under their control. 

Subsequently, the RDK, the Freedom of Russia Legion, and the Siberian Battalion published a joint statement. In it, they recalled that the Russian army was shelling peaceful Ukrainian cities from the territory of the Belgorod region, setting up positions between the houses of residents of the region, schools and government agencies, resulting in the deaths of Ukrainian civilians.

"The shelling of Ukraine from the territory of Belgorod must stop! In this regard, we are forced to open fire on military positions located in the cities of Belgorod and Kursk," the statement says.

They called on the civilian population to "immediately leave the city" and on the local authorities to start evacuating the cities of Kursk and Belgorod regions.

• On the morning of March 12, fighters of the Freedom of Russia Legion announced they were coming to liberate Russia from dictator Vladimir Putin. The military of the Siberian Battalion reported fierce fighting on Russia's territory, while the Freedom of Russia first said it had taken control of the village of Tyotkino in Kursk Oblast, and later clarified that fighting for the village was ongoing.

• Oleksiy Hetman, Ukrainian National Guard reserve major and veteran of the Russian-Ukrainian war believes that the raid by the Freedom of Russia Legion is a challenge to Putin and his entourage. In his opinion, if at least one battalion of the Russian Federation goes over to the side of the Russians fighting against Putin, a chain reaction could begin throughout the army.