Russian border region restricts access to villages due to Ukrainian attacks
The authorities will set up control points, announced Gladkow. Access to the areas will only be allowed for adult men who wear protective vests and helmets and travel in armored vehicles. "The use of public transportation, including taxis, will be prohibited", he added. It is "unacceptable to allow women and children in residential areas who are shot at every day", said Gladkow. He did not provide an end date for the restrictions.
Gladkow did not say that all residents of the affected areas had to leave. Those who choose to go can claim a monthly payment to rent a housing unit at another location, he explained.
The governor conceded that there would be "no positive answers" regarding the announcement. "But the most important thing is the life of a person. We have already lost many peaceful residents and many injured", said Gladkow. "Our task is to take maximum security measures."
The state news agency Tass later quoted Gladkow with the information that more than 200 civilians have been killed in the region Belgorod since the beginning of Moscow's "special military operation" in Ukraine in February 2022.
The announcement resembles an acknowledgement of the failure of the surprise offensive ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin in early May in the Ukrainian neighboring region of Kharkiv. The goal was to establish a buffer zone to stop attacks on the region Belgorod.
Instead, the region has experienced continued shelling and drone attacks from the Ukraine, often resulting in fatalities among residents. According to local authorities, artillery fire also disrupted the power and water supply in border towns. The regular attacks are a constant source of frustration for the Kremlin, which has tried to maintain an appearance of normalcy and security at home.
In the past week, four people were killed and 20 others were injured in Ukrainian attacks within 24 hours in Belgorod.
Meanwhile, the Kreml reacted cautiously on Tuesday to an statement from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy the previous day, that Russian representatives should attend a second Ukraine peace summit. "One must first understand what he (Zelenskyy) means by that", said Kreml spokesman Dmitry Peskov in an interview published on Telegram on Tuesday. "The first peace summit was not a peace summit at all", Peskov emphasized.
This is the first time Zelenskyy has considered talks with Russia without insisting on a Russian troop withdrawal from Ukraine first. Russia was not invited to a Ukraine conference in Switzerland in mid-June, where dozens of state and government leaders participated. According to his own statements, Zelenskyy intends to present a "plan" for a "just peace" at a second conference he announced for November.
Russia controls about 20% of Ukrainian territory, and the prospects for peace between Kiev and Moscow are currently minimal.
- The restrictions implemented by Gladkow exclude women and children from accessing the affected areas due to daily attacks.
- Gladkow mentioned that adult men, wearing protective vests and helmets and traveling in armored vehicles, will be allowed access to the restricted areas.
- In Belgorod, more than 200 civilians have been killed since February 2022 due to Moscow's "special military operation" in Ukraine.
- The continued shelling and drone attacks from Ukraine in Belgorod have resulted in fatalities among residents and disrupted the power and water supply in border towns.
- Vladimir Putin ordered a surprise offensive in the Kharkiv region to establish a buffer zone, but it failed and resulted in continued attacks on Belgorod.
- Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggested that Russian representatives should attend a second Ukraine peace summit, which the Kremlin reacted to cautiously, asking for clarification about Zelenskyy's intentions.
- The border region of Belgorod has experienced numerous attacks from Ukraine, causing significant harm to its residents and disrupting daily life.
