A Russian partisan group with ties to the Ukrainian navy claimed on Thursday that it had briefly taken management of a small border village, in what would signify a uncommon recognized instance of saboteurs crossing into Russia to hold out an operation.

President Vladimir V. Putin canceled a scheduled journey to the Caucasus area to be briefed on the incursion, the Kremlin stated. He denounced the episode as a “terrorist” assault, a label Russia ceaselessly applies to navy setbacks within the battle in Ukraine.

It remained unclear what occurred within the village, though the incursion gave the impression to be over by Thursday afternoon. The group that claimed accountability, the Russian Volunteer Corps, is led by a Russian nationalist in exile who opposes Mr. Putin’s rule and has been combating for the Ukrainian trigger.

It’s unclear whether or not the group operates with the assent of the Ukrainian authorities, because it claims.

The group posted a video on Thursday of two armed males outdoors what gave the impression to be a medical constructing within the village of Lyubichane, within the Russian area of Bryansk, close to the Ukrainian border.

“Russian Volunteer Corps got here to Bryansk area to indicate the compatriots that there’s hope, that free Russian folks with weapons of their arms can battle the regime,” stated a caption on the video that the group posted on the Telegram messenger app. The video’s authenticity and particulars of the incident couldn’t be independently verified.

Ukrainian intelligence officers have tried to painting the incident as proof of Russian divisions. “It is a signal that Russia can now not perform usually and this results in inside destruction,” Andriy Cherniak, a consultant for Ukrainian navy intelligence stated in a telephone interview.

Mr. Putin accused the saboteurs of opening hearth on civilians and kids, a declare that would not be independently verified.

Mr. Putin was carefully monitoring developments within the Bryansk area, Kremlin spokesman, Dmitri S. Peskov, advised reporters. He added that Mr. Putin was receiving common studies from officers in Bryansk.

Oleksiy Danilov, the pinnacle of the Ukrainian Nationwide Safety and Protection Council, stated in a press release on Thursday that Moscow was dealing with “a motion of Russian anti-fascist militias.”

There isn’t a proof that Russian Volunteer Corps or different Russian armed teams combating towards the Kremlin have a broad assist base inside Russia.

The governor of Bryansk stated earlier on Thursday {that a} sabotage group had entered Lyubichane and opened hearth on a car, killing the motive force and injuring a toddler. Russian state information businesses issued conflicting studies in regards to the episode all through Thursday. They initially claimed that saboteurs took as much as six folks hostage, however later walked that again, reporting that native officers had no details about the taking of hostages.

Russia’s Tass state information company stated the saboteurs had already left Russia by Thursday afternoon. However Mr. Peskov stated that “all measures are at the moment being taken to liquidate these terrorists.”

Ukrainian items have carried out sabotage operations in Russia-held territory in Ukraine all through the battle. Ukraine can be believed to have struck inside Russia on a number of events, together with in December, when a drone launched from Russian soil hit a navy base within the metropolis of Ryazan. Ukrainian officers are sometimes intentionally imprecise about strikes inside Russia, although they often nod to them with cryptic nondenials.

Some Russian supporters of the battle cited the incursion to demand an escalation of the battle in Ukraine, which began when Mr. Putin launched his full-scale invasion final yr.

“The final crimson strains have been erased as we speak within the Bryansk area,” Konstantin Malofeev, an ultranationalist tycoon, wrote on Telegram. “Now anybody who even whispers about peace shall be an confederate of terrorists.”

Ivan Nechepurenko , Maria Varenikova and Carlotta Gall contributed reporting. Oleg Matsnev contributed analysis.