An EDF soldier patrolling the Eastorian side of the fortified Russia - Eastoria border yesterday after coordinated incursions by LFE rebels were foiled by the Eastoria Defense Forces. PHOTO| ASTRID RITTER
By Astrid Ritter |@AstridRitter
Kolstadt, Akershus — The Eastoria Defense Forces (EDF) have repelled a series of coordinated incursions by fighters from the Liberation Front of Eastoria (LFE) across the Akershus, Norbotten, and Veridia border zones, officials confirmed on Sunday. The clashes, described by military commanders as “aggressive probing attacks,” unfolded late Saturday night and continued into the early hours in what appears to be the latest escalation by the Russian-backed insurgent group.
EDF forward units engaged the rebels after they crossed several hundred meters into Eastorian territory under heavy snowfall. According to military sources, the rebels attempted to strike surveillance outposts and supply lines but were pushed back within minutes. No Eastorian losses were reported, while several LFE fighters were either killed or forced to retreat across the frontier.
The Laeken House Press Secretary Markus Feldmann condemned the attacks and praised the speed of the EDF response, saying, “These incursions were swiftly and decisively neutralized. Eastoria’s borders are secure, and any armed group attempting to violate them will face overwhelming force.”
The Ministry of Defense issued its own statement through the Minister of State for Defense, Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Billie Clarius who reaffirmed Eastoria’s longstanding position that the LFE survives almost entirely due to Russian support. “For more than thirty years, Russia has armed, financed, and sheltered the LFE,” the minister said. “Their movements across our border are not isolated incidents — they are part of a sustained campaign of intimidation. The EDF will continue to defend Eastoria with the full force of its capabilities.”
The Kremlin again denied any involvement with the rebel group, calling the allegations “fabricated” and “anti-Russian hysteria.” But Eastorian intelligence officials insist there is undeniable evidence of Moscow’s role, citing intercepted communications, weapons signatures, and drone imagery showing LFE camps operating openly inside Russian territory.
The LFE, formed in 1992, has waged a decades-long insurgency aimed at toppling the Eastorian government. Its operations have intensified periodically, often coinciding with shifts in Eastoria’s foreign policy or military posture. The Koenig administration launched a series of precision strikes on LFE positions inside Russia between 2021 and 2024 — actions that triggered a major diplomatic standoff and eventually led Moscow to close its border entirely, prompting Eastoria to reinforce its own side with 45,000 troops.
Former President Martin Kollmann attempted peace talks with LFE leaders in Warsaw in 2015, but the process collapsed amid renewed ambushes and bombings. Analysts say the group has since splintered, becoming more dependent on foreign intelligence and military supply chains.
Military expert Dr. Helena Varic of the Northern Strategic Security Observatory said the latest attacks show the LFE is trying to remain relevant despite being weakened. “These cross-border probes are as much about messaging as they are about territory,” she said. “The LFE wants to demonstrate that it is still capable of disrupting Eastoria’s security environment, especially at a time when the region is tense.” Defense historian Prof. Armin Drechsler of Belisce University warned that the situation is delicate. “When a rebel group backed by a nuclear-armed state repeatedly tests your border, the risk of escalation is never zero,” he said. “An accidental casualty on either side could trigger a dangerous spiral.”
Retired colonel Lukas Reinhardt, now a senior analyst at the Eastoria Security Forum, noted that Eastoria’s modernized surveillance systems and rapid-response units have dramatically reduced the rebels’ ability to inflict damage. “Operationally, the EDF is ahead of the LFE at every level,” he said. “The challenge now is strategic — containing the conflict without allowing Russia to exploit it.”
As winter deepens along the borderlands and more EDF units rotate into position, officials warn that the LFE may attempt additional incursions. For residents of the regions of Akershus, Norbotten, and Veridia, the distant echoes of gunfire are a reminder that the conflict — now in its fourth decade — remains dangerously alive.
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