The governor of the Russian region of Belgorod, on the border with Ukraine, declared a state of emergency on Wednesday in response to an “extremely difficult” situation caused by shelling by Kiev forces.
“The situation in our Belgorod region remains extremely difficult and tense due to shelling by the Ukrainian armed forces. Houses have been destroyed, civilians have been killed and injured,” Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov wrote on Telegram.
“Therefore, we have made a decision, as of today, to declare a regional state of emergency in the entire Belgorod region, with a subsequent call to the Government to declare a federal state of emergency,” the governor added.
“In order to ensure greater protection for the population and provide additional support to victims, a state of emergency will be imposed at regional level” starting Wednesday, he added.
Gladkov reported drone strikes by Ukrainian forces on two villages in the region, Shebekino and Ustinka, which did not cause any casualties.
Authorities in the Kursk, Voronezh and Bryansk regions also reported that Russian air defence systems shot down drones launched from Ukraine overnight.
Since August 6, Ukraine has launched a large-scale operation in the Kursk region and has claimed control of more than 1,000 kilometers of Russian territory.
Russian authorities on Monday acknowledged the loss of 28 towns and territorial gains by Ukraine in an area 40 kilometres wide and 12 kilometres deep.
According to calculations made on Tuesday by AFP based on data from the US Institute for the Study of War (ISW), which relies on Russian sources, Ukrainian troops have advanced over an area of 800 km2 in the Kursk region.
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