U.S. Tactical Vehicles Used Against Russia Across Border—Reports

U.S. military vehicles were reportedly used by pro-Ukrainian Russian militias in an attack on the Russian border region of Belgorod earlier this week.

Denis Nikitin, the head of the Russian Volunteer Corps and one of the two paramilitary groups involved in the cross-border raid, said on Monday that the group had at least two M1224 MaxxPro MRAPs, or Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles, and several Humvees, the Financial Times reported.

At least three U.S. MRAPs could be identified from footage reportedly filmed in Belgorod, according to a separate investigation by The New York Times. The United States has sent more than 500 MRAPs to Ukraine, but several other countries also use the armored vehicles.

Footage and photos widely circulating online, shared by Zvezda, a state-owned TV channel closely affiliated with the Russian military, appeared to show destroyed U.S. military vehicles in Belgorod.

Newsweek could not independently verify the veracity of this footage or images. Some have also speculated that at least some of the photos look staged.

Russian officials, meanwhile, once again condemned the transfer of Western weapons to Ukraine.

"It is no secret for us that more and more equipment is being delivered to Ukraine's armed forces," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said during a media briefing.

"It is no secret that this equipment is being used against our own military," Peskov added. "And it is no secret for us that the direct and indirect involvement of Western countries in this conflict is growing by the day."

State Department spokesperson Matt Miller said at a media briefing on Tuesday that the U.S. government had "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," Miller added.

The Russian Volunteer Corps, along with the Freedom of Russia Legion, claimed responsibility for the incursion into the Russian border region of Belgorod on Monday. The Russian Defense Ministry, however, blamed a "Ukrainian nationalist formation."

In a post to Telegram, the ministry said four armored combat vehicles and five pickup trucks were destroyed in Belgorod, attributing the losses to Ukraine.

Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said a Ukrainian "sabotage and reconnaissance group" was behind the attacks in settlements such as Kozinka and Grayvoron, which Kyiv has denied. However, Andriy Chernyak of Ukraine's military intelligence agency, said that although Ukraine wasn't directly involved, "we communicate with them," according to the Financial Times.

"Of course, we share some information," Chernyak added, the outlet reported. "And, one might say, we even cooperate."

Villages near the border were evacuated, local authorities said, in one of the most high-profile cross-border raids in Belgorod since the outbreak of all-out war in Ukraine in February 2022. On Wednesday morning, Gladkov also said that there had been "a large number of drone attacks" in Belgorod overnight.

In an update posted on Wednesday, Moscow said Russia's Western Military District launched air strikes and artillery fire, adding "the nationalist formations have been blocked and destroyed."

"The remaining nationalists were pushed back into Ukraine, where they continued to be hit until they have been completely eliminated," Moscow said in a statement.

The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War think tank said on Tuesday that Russian forces may have succeeded in pushing the militia forces out of Russian territory.

Speaking on Wednesday, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said 70 "Ukrainian terrorists" had been killed. Addressing Russian defense officials, Shoigu said the Kremlin's forces would "continue to respond promptly and extremely harshly to such actions."

Newsweek reached out to the Russian Volunteer Corps, the Freedom of Russia Legion and the Ukrainian Defense Ministry via email for comment.