A state of emergency has been declared in the Russian border region of Belgorod following attacks by Ukrainian forces, escalating tensions in the ongoing conflict between the two countries.
Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov described the situation as “extremely difficult” due to daily shelling in the region, resulting in destroyed houses, civilian casualties, and injuries. The city of Shebekino and the village of Ustinka were specifically targeted by Ukrainian drones, although no casualties have been reported as of yet.
This comes after Ukraine’s surprise cross-border attack in Russia’s Kursk region last week, which led to mass evacuations and a state of emergency being declared by Russian President Vladimir Putin. In response, Russia claims to have shot down 117 drones overnight, mainly targeting regions such as Kursk, Voronezh, Belgorod, and Nizhny Novgorod.
The conflict has seen Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky claiming that Ukrainian troops have advanced further into Russian territory, with army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi stating that Kyiv now has “control over 40 square kilometres” and has taken 74 settlements. However, the exact extent of the territory seized by Ukraine remains uncertain, with skepticism over previous claims made by Syrskyi.
Despite the escalating violence, Ukraine has stated that it does not intend to keep any Russian territory it captures and is open to negotiating a “just peace” with Moscow. Meanwhile, President Putin has accused Ukraine of refusing Russian proposals for a peaceful settlement and suggested that Western powers are influencing the conflict.
As the situation continues to unfold, the international community is closely monitoring the developments, with US President Biden acknowledging the complex dilemma facing Putin as the conflict intensifies. The conflict between Russia and Ukraine shows no signs of abating, with both sides remaining steadfast in their positions as the crisis deepens.
