EVERYTHING IS GOING SWIMMINGLY (RUSSIA EDITION): Fighting in Russian Border Region Following Incursion Enters Second Day.

Russian military correspondents said battles were continuing well into the afternoon on Tuesday, with Russian forces trying to stop two units of combatant reinforcements from joining up with the groups inside Russia.

The Russian Defense Ministry said it had launched attacks against the combatants using artillery and air power. Defense Ministry spokesman Gen. Igor Konashenkov said the groups had been encircled and at least 70 members had been killed.

The extent of the original incursion and the affiliations of the combatants couldn’t be confirmed independently but the incident has exposed embarrassing weaknesses around Russia’s border areas as Moscow’s troops prepare for an expected Ukrainian offensive.

When reports first starting coming in on Monday morning, the incursion looked like a propaganda stunt — and in some ways, is sure is. But it’s also turned into an aggravating game of Whack-a-Mole for Moscow.