Russian-backed forces prepare to defend Belgorod amidst attacks from Ukraine.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Russian paramilitary group Wagner, has declared that his forces are ready to defend the Russian region of Belgorod, which borders Ukraine and has been hit by intense shelling and attacks in recent days. He accused military leaders of "ceding" territory in the Belgorod region and said that his forces would not wait for official authorisation to deploy in the region. The Russian military claimed to have repelled an attempted ground attack in Belgorod from Ukraine, one week after a spectacular armed incursion that demonstrated the vulnerability of Russia's borders.