Russia begins evacuation from Belgorod region as border tensions escalate
Vyacheslav Gladkov, the Governor of Russia's Belgorod region, declared the evacuation of residents from the border-adjacent Krasnoyaruzhsky district, effective on the morning of August 12.
"We're having a troubling morning with enemy activity at the border of Krasnoyaruzhsky district. We are starting to relocate residents of the district to safer places," said Gladkov.
He further claimed that in the past 24 hours, the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) allegedly shelled settlements in the Belgorod region 40 times and launched 42 drones. Notably, the Russian service of the BBC highlighted that reports from pro-Russian military bloggers surfaced as early as Sunday, detailing an attack by a Ukrainian unit on the border village of Kolotilovka in the Krasnoyaruzhsky district.
The Krasnoyaruzhsky district lies in the northwestern part of the Belgorod region, with a stretch of approximately 45 kilometers from Krasnaya Yaruga, the district's center, to Sudzha in the Kursk region, which saw the entry of Ukrainian troops on August 6.
Similarly alarming, the head of the Belovsky district in Kursk region, Nikolai Volobuev, urged local residents to evacuate, describing the situation as "extremely tense."
"For those who remain in the area, a firm request: please leave the district," he emphasized.
Meanwhile, the Telegram channel Rybar, known for its connections to the Russian Ministry of Defense, reported that Ukrainian forces initiated an attack near the Kolotilovka border checkpoint in Krasnoyaruzhsky District and are making efforts to cut off Belgorod from the north.
According to the channel, "the enemy staged a fire carousel using multiple units of heavy equipment" and attempted to advance with small assault groups. Russian Aerospace Forces are involved, Rybar indicated. It has not been possible to independently verify these reports at the time of publication.
The Belgorod region has been under a counter-terrorist operation (CTO) regime since August 10.
By law, this regime permits document checks on individuals and mandates those without identification to be referred to law enforcement. It also allows authorities to restrict access to certain areas and facilities, monitor electronic communications, listen to phone calls, temporarily relocate citizens, and control the movement of vehicles and pedestrians. Security forces are granted unhindered access to residential properties and land, and the use of military equipment is authorized.
Since August 6, 2024, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have been conducting military operations in the nearby Kursk region. On August 10, Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations reported that over 76,000 people had been evacuated from the region. An additional 8,000 residents were evacuated in organized convoys and independently the following day, according to the ministry's August 11 update.
A senior Ukrainian security official told AFP that "thousands" of Ukrainian troops are involved in the operation , aiming to "stretch" the Russian forces’ front line and "destabilize" Russia.