Fleeing Residents: Escaping the Cross-Border Attacks in Belgorod, Russia
Residents forced to flee as deadly cross-border attacks from Ukraine escalate in Russia's Belgorod region
Residents from the border region of Belgorod in Russia are being evacuated due to a recent increase in deadly Ukrainian strikes. Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov announced on Monday that about 300 residents of Belgorod city have chosen to temporarily relocate to accommodation centers in other cities within the region.
On Friday, Gladkov extended assistance to any concerned residents of Belgorod in light of the recent surge of Ukrainian attacks on the region. This rare acknowledgment of the dangers stemming from the once-distant war near northeastern Ukraine reflects a shift in Russia's approach to isolating its citizens from the conflict. Following Moscow's significant air attack on Ukraine on December 29, Kyiv resumed targeting the Russian region. Retaliatory strikes the next day resulted in the deaths of at least 25 people in Belgorod, leading to further Russian strikes and a violent start to the new year.
In his message on Monday, Gladkov mentioned that his office had received 1,300 applications to send children from Belgorod to school camps in other regions. He also stated that colleagues from Voronezh, Kaluga, Tambov, and Yaroslavl are ready to assist Belgorod despite the distance. Additionally, Gladkov informed that the authorities have started restoration works following recent Ukrainian shelling attacks and assured residents that they will be updated on the progress of these efforts.
Russia carried out a new series of air strikes in Ukraine on Monday, resulting in the death of at least four people and 38 injuries, according to the statement released by Ukraine's National Police. The targeted areas included Kharkiv region in the east, Dnipropetrovsk in the center, Zaporizhzhia in the south, and Khmelnytskyi in the west.
While Ukraine has previously targeted Russian regions near the border, the attack on Belgorod on December 30 is believed to be one of the most devastating incidents reported.
A shopping mall was damaged in Ukraine's strike on Belgorod, December 30, 2023.
Stringer/Reuters
The strikes came after Russia fired 158 drones and missiles, including hypersonic Kinzhal missiles, at civilian targets across Ukraine, killing at least 47 people.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Russia had utilized "virtually every weapon at its disposal" in the "terrorist attacks," and assured that Ukraine's military would retaliate. The recent devastating attacks on Belgorod, although not on the same scale as the damage inflicted on Ukraine, represent Ukraine's continuing efforts to bring the conflict to Russians' doorstep.
"After the December 30 strike, people in Belgorod are recognizing the severity of the ongoing war, perhaps not for the first time but now more grave and frightening," a resident told Reuters. Following the attack, Gladkov stated that he had received messages from frightened residents on social media pleading for help to find a safe place."
Damage is seen outside an apartment building in Kharkiv on December 31 after overnight Russian drone attacks.
Sergey Bobok/AFP/Getty Images
Ukraine sees deadly start to 2024 as Putin pledges to ramp up attacks
On Friday, the top Belgorod official publicly announced plans to relocate large groups of the local population affected by the war for the first time. Evacuation efforts were ongoing over the weekend and into Monday, with reports of residents traveling nearly 100 miles away from their homes.
Additionally, on Friday, Ukraine's Defense Intelligence reported a successful incursion into the Belgorod region. They claimed to have destroyed a Russian stronghold and mined the roads used by Russians in Grayvoronsky district.
The Defense Intelligence reported obtaining information that the "top Russian military leadership" had planned to inspect Russian positions in the area due to personnel complaints about "poor service conditions." In response, Ukraine initiated a "special operation" which it claimed resulted in enemy losses, but did not provide casualty figures.
The relative peace in Belgorod, compared to Ukraine's neighboring Kharkiv region, has been disrupted on multiple occasions. The most significant instance occurred in May 2023 when the Freedom of Russia Legion, a group of anti-Putin Russian nationals aligned with the Ukrainian army, launched a surprise attack on the region. They temporarily seized control of a border post, showcasing dramatic images of Russians taking up arms against the Kremlin.
