MOSCOW: Russia has evacuated approximately 300 residents of Belgorod, a city near the Ukrainian border, over strikes by Kyiv, said the governor of the region on Monday.
Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov stated in a video posted on Telegram that those who chose to temporarily evacuate from Belgorod are currently being accommodated in temporary shelter centres in Stary Oskol, Gubkin, and the Korochansky district, which are located farther from the border.
In the last 24 hours, the region received 1,300 requests to send Belgorod children to school camps in other regions, away from the city. On Friday, Governor Gladkov extended the offer to Belgorod residents to evacuate from the city, which has been experiencing increased strikes from Ukraine in recent weeks. Belgorod is less than 20 miles (32 kilometres) from the Ukrainian border.
This evacuation from Belgorod marks the largest evacuation of a major Russian city since Moscow initiated what it terms its special military operation in Ukraine in February 2022.
The deadliest civilian toll in Russia since the beginning of hostilities occurred on December 30 when Ukrainian strikes on the city claimed the lives of 25 people. The attack followed a substantial bombardment by Moscow across Ukraine, constituting the largest such assault since the conflict’s initial weeks, resulting in the death of thirty people.
