Russian military and security forces confronted infiltrating Ukrainian forces crossing the border into Russia, the Russian Defense Ministry revealed on Friday.

In a detailed statement, the ministry said a group of 30 Ukrainian military personnel, including commandos and foreign mercenaries, arrived at a location almost one kilometer away from the border, then marched on foot to Kozinka in the Russian Belgorod Region. 

While the Ukrainian forces managed to arrive at the outskirts of Kozinka, Russian security was able to spot them before they infiltrated deep into the village. Russian forces mobilized and targeted the infiltrating forces using artillery shelling and military aviation. 

The zone in which the Ukrainian troops arrived was freshly mined, which furthered the turmoil they had caught themselves in. As survivors retreated, they got caught up in the minefield and were killed as a result. 

The Russian ministry estimated that over 50 Ukrainian military personnel were killed or injured in the operation. 

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Tuesday's raid ends in hundreds of losses 

On Tuesday, in a similar attempt to cross Russian borders, the Ukrainian army lost 234 fighters and a substantial amount of military equipment, including seven tanks and three infantry fighting vehicles. 

In a statement, the Russian Defense Ministry said "The enemy lost 234 militants killed, seven tanks, three US-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, and two armored personnel carriers. There were no violations of the state border," noting that the attack was confronted on all three different directions where Ukraine tried to infiltrate. 

In detail, the Russian ministry said that up to 60 Ukrainian fighters were killed and four pickups were destroyed in the Kharkiv region. Along the Ukrainian border, 100 Ukrainian troops were killed and five military tanks were destroyed. Near Nekhoteevka, in Russian Belgorod, 45 Ukrainian soldiers were killed and two tanks were destroyed. 

Who is behind the raid saga?

The series of border-cross raids has resulted in over 1,500 Ukrainian soldiers falling casualty, and the destruction of 18 tanks, and 23 armored military vehicles. 

Three militias cooperating with the Ukrainian forces to overthrow the Russian government have taken responsibility for the raids. Reportedly, their goal was to sabotage the Russian elections, which started on Friday, March 15. 

The militia coalition has been named a terrorist organization by Russian law enforcement. 

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