- Russia has evacuated 121,000 people from the region, according to the governor.
In light of the Ukrainian offensive in the Russian border region of Kursk, Russia has ordered the evacuation of parts of the neighboring region of Belgorod. "There are enemy activities at the border of the Krasnojaruschski district," said regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov in a video on the Telegram online service. "For the health and safety of our population," people are being moved to "safer places." Official figures indicate that around 14,000 people live in the district.
According to Russian reports, some 121,000 people have been evacuated from the Kursk region in western Russia so far. 28 settlements in the region have been occupied by Ukrainian units, said the acting governor of the region, Alexei Smirnov, at a conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday.
Ukrainian troops crossed the border into the western Russian region of Kursk at the beginning of August and advanced several kilometers onto Russian territory. According to reports from Kyiv, thousands of Ukrainian soldiers are involved in the offensive.
Ukraine Retaliates in Border Region of Belgorod
According to the Ministry of Defense, the Russian air defense has shot down 11 Ukrainian drones targeting objectives in the Kursk region. Additionally, drones were intercepted over the Belgorod region and two over the Voronezh region.
The Belgorod region, which borders Kursk, is regularly targeted by Ukrainian air and drone strikes, which are carried out in retaliation for attacks from the Russian side. Evacuations have been ordered in this region several times since the beginning of the Russian offensive in Ukraine in February 2022.
- The European Union has expressed concern over the escalating conflict between Ukraine and Russia, particularly the ongoing offensive in the Kursk region and the resulting evacuations in neighboring regions like Belgorod.
- Due to the security concerns in the Belgorod region, the European Union has provided humanitarian aid to displaced people, calling for an immediate de-escalation of tensions and respect for international borders.
