Russian authorities do not know how to react to situation in Belgorod region, - ISW
This is stated in an analytical report by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Censor.NET reports.
"Contradictory reports from official Russian sources about the situation in Belgorod region and Gladkov's apparent personal decision to respond to the actions of the RVC and LFR indicate that the Ministry of Defence and Gladkov are not coordinating their actions in response to the raids," the report says.
The ISW analysts add that the Russian authorities' response has been largely focused on information effects, and there is no indication that the Russian leadership has defined a broader policy to prevent further limited raids into Russia's border regions.
It is also noted that it remains unclear whether the Russian authorities are organizing an evacuation in response to these actions, although Gladkov claimed that 4,000 residents of the vulnerable area are currently in temporary accommodation centers in connection with the evacuation.
Experts note that limited raids and shelling of the border in the Belgorod region are increasingly becoming the focus of criticism of the Russian military leadership.
For example, the founder of the "Wagner" PMC, Yevgeny Prigozhin, continued to use the situation in the Belgorod region to criticize the Russian Ministry of Defence on 3 and 4 June, especially pointing to the lack of response from the head of the ministry, Sergei Shoigu, Colonel General Alexander Lapin and Chief of the General Staff, General Valery Gerasimov.
Prigozhin offered to negotiate the release of prisoners of war held by the RVC and LFR if the Russian authorities did not do so, and in response to criticism of his proposal, sarcastically stated that Russia has problems with people who have "balls".
Another ultranationalist and 'warlords' responded to the latest raid by criticizing Gladkov for his willingness to negotiate with the RDC and LSR, as well as the Russian authorities for failing to systematically inform the public about the situation in Belgorod Oblast.
A notorious 'military commander' used the raid in the Belgorod region to criticize the Russian Ministry of Defence for not funding the volunteer units of the Belgorod Territorial Defence and not treating volunteers as real combatants.
Former Russian officer and ardent ultranationalist Igor Girkin argued that the Kremlin cannot do anything about the situation in the Belgorod region without resorting to a significant diversion of resources, which would likely lead to an attrition operation reminiscent of the Bakhmut assaults.
