Pro-Ukrainian forces appear to have used armored vehicles in the US in an invasion of Russia

“I will say that at this point we are skeptical about the veracity of these reports,” said Matthew Miller, a State Department spokesman. He reiterated that the United States “has not encouraged or facilitated attacks inside Russia, and we have made that clear.”

“But as we also said,” he added, “it is for Ukraine to decide how this war is going to be fought.”

The use of US military equipment on Russian soil could strain relations between Ukraine and the United States, leading Ukraine to receive tens of billions of dollars in military aid, provided it is not used to attack Russia within its own borders . .

Photos and video showed dozens of pro-Ukrainian fighters using the vehicles in their convoy as they crossed the Russian border into the village of Kozinka on Monday morning. The involvement of the Ukrainian army in the operation is not clear.

While there have been attacks across this border during the 15-month war, Monday’s attack was unique in its brutality and duration. The two units that claimed responsibility for the raid are the Free Russia Legion and the Russian Volunteer Corps, made up of Russian nationals who fought in Ukraine against the Russian army.

Russia has cast members of the strike force as Ukrainian militants and saboteurs; Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar called them “Russian patriots” participating in an “internal Russian crisis”.

The Free Russia Legion is part of a unit overseen by Ukrainian officers, but Mykhailo Podolyak, a presidential adviser, said Ukraine had nothing to do with the raid.

The attack on Russia lasts until the second day. On Tuesday afternoon, Russia’s defense ministry said it had pushed the fighters back across the border, but people claiming to represent the groups claimed they continued to attack inside Russia.

The raid came days after a Friday announcement that President Biden agreed to let Ukrainian troops train on F-16 fighter jets and was open to other countries supplying them to Ukraine, a reversal after a year of denying Ukrainian requests for the plane due to to assure. could be used to attack targets in Russia and potentially escalate the conflict.

Christoph Koettl, Dmitry Khavin And Julian Barnes reporting contributed.