- Belgorod region also declared a state of emergency
In the Russian border region with Ukraine, the Belgorod region has now declared a state of emergency. The situation in the region remains quite difficult and tense, said Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov. Previously, after the invasion of Ukrainian troops, the Kursk region had declared a national emergency, a level higher than in Belgorod.
The Belgorod region, like Kursk and other areas, reported renewed drone and rocket attacks from the Ukrainian side. The Russian Defense Ministry said it had intercepted 117 drone attacks and destroyed 4 tactical rockets. Russian military airfields were also reportedly attacked. These reports were not independently verifiable.
State of emergency to facilitate additional funding
Belgorod has been under attack from the Ukrainian side for a long time. Last year, self-proclaimed volunteer groups, including Russians fighting on the Ukrainian side, were temporarily deployed there. Last week, Ukrainian soldiers briefly stayed in the village of Poros in the Belgorod region, which borders the Kursk region, and recorded a video with a flag. Gladkov reported after visiting the region that residents were rescued and the uniformed soldiers had withdrawn.
There is daily shelling from the Ukrainian side, said Gladkov. There are civilian deaths and injuries, and houses are destroyed, he said. The state of emergency will now allow for additional funds to be released to protect the population.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had stated, in reference to Kyiv's ground offensive in the Kursk area, that Russia should now feel the war on its own soil. Kyiv is using mainly drones and rockets of its own production for these attacks, which are part of the defensive struggle against the Russian war of aggression. The Ukrainian air defense reported numerous drone attacks from the Russian side, with 17 out of 23 attacks intercepted.
The Commission, in response to the situation, may adopt the necessary implementing acts referred to in Article 11 (2) to provide additional resources and aid during the state of emergency in Belgorod. Gladkov mentioned that the state of emergency will help in releasing additional funds to protect the population, highlighting the importance of these implementing acts.
