Humvees, Wreckage After 'Cross-Border Raid' Into Russia

This image, showing U.S.-made Humvees in an apparent explosion crater, is from a video released by Russian authorities on May 23 after what is described as a cross-border raid into Russia's Belgorod region that began a day earlier.

A damaged vehicle with "For Bakhmut" spray-painted on its door is seen in a video grab from footage believed to have been taken inside Russia on May 23. 

The raid into Belgorod was reportedly launched by the Russian Volunteer Corps and the Free Russia Legion. Both groups are made up of ethnic Russians who have fought alongside the Ukrainian military against the Russian invasion.

Members of the Russian Volunteer Corps display their flag in an image apparently taken inside Russian territory that was released on May 23. 

Michael Colborne, a journalist with the open-source investigative group Bellingcat, told Vice News that he immediately recognized some of the men allegedly involved in the raid as well-known neo-Nazis.

"These are people who have literally organized Hitler worship nights, written poems about Hitler, and lead bands whose names and songs are about Hitler," he said.

Photos posted to Telegram by Belgorod's Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov on May 23 showed the apparent aftermath of the raid, including these damaged vehicles. 

The Russian Defense Ministry on May 23 claimed that its troops had surrounded enemy fighters and used "air strikes, artillery fire, and active action by border units" to push back the forces, killing many of them.

Those claims have not been independently confirmed. 

Gladkov's images included this photo of an American-Israeli-designed MaxxPro MRAP mine-resistant vehicle that was apparently abandoned during fighting in the Belgorod region.

"We've seen some of the reports circulating on social media and elsewhere making claims that U.S.-supplied weapons were used in these attacks. I will say that we're skeptical at this time of the veracity of these reports," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told a media briefing on May 23.

"As a more general principle, as we've said, as I’ve said yesterday, we do not encourage or enable strikes inside of Russia, and we've made that clear. But as we've also said, it is up to Ukraine to decide how to conduct this war," Miller added.

Damage seen near the border town of Gora Podol in the Belgorod region. 

A damaged house in the Belgorod region. 

Andriy Chernyak, from Ukraine’s military intelligence directorate, told the Financial Times that the Ukrainian military has previously worked with the ethnic Russian fighters, but insisted that Kyiv was not involved in planning the May 22 raid.

"Of course, we communicate with them. Of course, we share some information...and some might say we even cooperate,” Chernyak said.

A man wears an armored vest as Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov (in blue jacket) meets residents near where fighting took place. 

Leaders of the anti-Kremlin Russian militants say cross-border raids are intended to inspire Russians to rise up against their government.