The Russian security services (FSB) said on Monday that they had killed four Ukrainian "saboteurs" the day before as they tried, according to this source, to enter the Russian region of Bryansk, bordering Ukraine.

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"As a result of armed clashes on December 25, four saboteurs were eliminated during an attempt to penetrate the territory of the Bryansk region from Ukraine," the FSB said, quoted by news agencies. Russians.

According to the FSB, this group, accused of wanting to "commit terrorist acts and sabotage", was equipped with German-made SIG Sauer submachine guns, communication devices, as well as "four improvised explosive devices".

A video, broadcast by the Ria-Novosti news agency and attributed to the FSB, shows four bloodied corpses, surrounded by weapons and dressed in winter camouflage uniforms.

AFP was unable to confirm these statements from an independent source.

In recent months, Russia has been the victim of a series of incidents, including explosions, at military sites and important infrastructure, which Moscow has attributed to Ukraine.

On Monday, the Russian Ministry of Defense claimed to have shot down a Ukrainian drone as it approached an air base in southern Russia, in the Saratov region, located more than 600 km from Ukraine. .

According to this source, three people were killed by debris from the drone after it was destroyed.

Last week, Russian lawmakers passed a new law providing for 'long prison terms' for 'saboteurs', pointing to the emergence of 'terrorist' threats, including from foreigners, amid the conflict in Ukraine.