Russia to evacuate 9,000 children from Belgorod amid Ukraine shelling
10:28 AM EDT, March 19, 2024
Authorities in the Belgorod region of Russia, near the border with Ukraine, are planning to evacuate about 9,000 children due to shelling from the Ukrainian side, TASS agency reported on Tuesday. Clashes near the region's border with Ukraine have persisted for a week.
Keep up with the latest on the war in Ukraine through our live coverage
Official Russian figures indicate that in the last week, Ukrainian shelling in the Belgorod region resulted in 16 fatalities and 98 injuries. A missile strike on Tuesday in the town of Razumnoye, close to Belgorod, wounded three individuals, including a 14-year-old boy who lost an arm.
Evacuation of 9,000 children underway
In response to the continuous shelling, local authorities have taken action.
"A significant number of villages are being relocated, and we are planning to evacuate around 9,000 children from the Belgorod region, including Belgorod, Shebekino, and Gavryonvsky," stated Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of the Belgorod region.
A planned evacuation of children is set to commence on March 22, with destinations including Penza, Tambov, and Kaluga, Gladkov added.
Ukrainian Pravda highlights that since March 12, conflicts have been raging in Russian territories along the Ukraine border between forces loyal to Putin's regime and Russian volunteer formations aligned with Kyiv. These groups include the Russian Volunteer Corps, the Freedom of Russia Legion, and the Siberian Battalion.
