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Russia's Defense Ministry said on Monday it had repelled three Ukrainian attacks on the Belgorod region bordering Ukraine, it said, by pro-Ukrainian fighters, and intense artillery shelling had forced a partial evacuation of the region.

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The Russian armed forces, together with units of the border service and the Federal Security Service (FSB) of Russia, prevented Ukrainian detachments from crossing the Russian border and pushed them back into Ukrainian territory, the statement said.

Russia's Defense Ministry said the three foiled attacks were near the city of Shebekino and accused Ukraine of using what it called "terrorist groups" to carry out deliberate attacks on Russian civilians.

According to him, more than 30 Ukrainian fighters were killed and four armored fighting vehicles destroyed.

Reuters said it could not confirm this information from independent sources.

Earlier, the Russian Volunteer Corps, a far-right paramilitary group made up of ethnic Russians who support Ukraine, said it had carried out an attack on Russian territory.

Moscow has accused Ukrainian "terrorists" of attacking Russia's western border, but Kiev says Russian volunteers opposed to Putin are operating there. Ukraine denies involvement, but Russian officials say the militants in question are proxies of Kiev.

Ahead of Ukraine's expected counter-offensive, Russia has been the target of numerous attacks and a major incursion across the border in recent days, and this week the largest ever drone attack on Moscow.

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Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said earlier today that at least nine people were injured and several buildings were damaged by shelling by Ukrainian forces overnight. He said a fire broke out in an apartment building in the border town of Shebekino and damaged an administrative building in the same city as a result of shelling with 122mm Grad volley rocket systems.

A video posted on social media shows plumes of smoke rising above a large building in Shebekino engulfed in fire.

"Once the situation calms down, we will continue with the evacuation of people," Gladkov said, adding: "All temporary accommodation facilities are ready."

The governor said hundreds of women, children and the elderly were already leaving the area, adding that he had informed President Vladimir Putin about the developments.

Civilians fleeing shelling the city of Shebekino have already begun arriving at temporary accommodation centres, Gladkov said.

"The largest municipal center for temporary accommodation is gradually being filled, so that all arrivals from Shebekino are sent organically to other vacant centers," the governor wrote in Telegram.

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