A Russian paramilitary group opposed to Putin says it attacked a troop stronghold inside Russia's borders

• A group of anti-Putin Russians took responsibility for an attack within Russia's borders.
• The group said it destroyed a "platoon stronghold of Russian troops" but gave no further details.

A group of Russians who oppose President Vladimir Putin and his invasion of Ukraine said they launched an attack within Russia's borders.

The Freedom of Russia Legion said on Telegram on Sunday that it had destroyed a "platoon stronghold of Russian troops" according to Reuters' translation.

The attack was near Terebreno village, which is in Belgorod, close to Russia's border with Ukraine, the group said.

The paramilitary group also said it left behind landmines in the area.

A source in Ukraine's intelligence community told Ukrainian outlet the Kyiv Post that Freedom of Russia Legion fighters had launched an attack in Belgorod on Sunday.

"Russia is unable to control security within its borders," the source said, adding: "Putin's security forces cannot ensure the safety of their citizens."

The intelligence source said that Russia's military is sending fighters to Avdiivka, the most intense battle taking place in Ukraine, and leaving its border unprotected. "Instead of securing the border, the military is being sent en masse to their deaths near Avdiivka," they said.

The Freedom of Russia Legion did not specify if it had destroyed any buildings or infrastructure, or killed any soldiers. It said that photos and video would be released soon.

Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of Belgorod, said on Sunday, before the group took responsibility, that the village was under fire from Ukraine's military and a "shooting battle" was taking place on its outskirts, Reuters reported.

The Freedom of Russia Legion is based in Ukraine and is made up of a few hundred Russian men, including defectors from Russia's army and others who volunteered to fight against their homeland, Business Insider previously reported.

Ukraine denies any involvement in the group's actions, saying the attacks are carried out by Russian citizens. The Freedom of Russia Legion, on the other hand, says it fights "under the leadership of the Ukrainian command."

The group opposes Putin, describing him as a dictator who kills his opponents, and is against Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Russia has designated it a terrorist group.

Freedom of Russia Legion members fight on the front lines in Ukraine, and the group has also taken responsibility for other attacks within Russia since the country launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

This includes an attack in May when it said it took control of villages in Belgorod, and in June, when it shelled another town in the region.

The group's commander said in an interview earlier this week that it plans more attacks next year.

"I will not tell you the date, but our regiment is growing and that's why our operation will be bigger, bigger and bigger," he told The Irish Sun.

He added: "There is no other way to stop this tragic war except by force."