All schools and colleges in parts of Russia's Belgorod region will be closed on Monday (18) and Tuesday (19) following an increase in Ukrainian attacks in the area, the local governor announced.
Shopping malls will also be closed on Sundays and Mondays, Vyacheslav Gladkov added in a statement on Telegram. The affected districts are along the border with Ukraine. The city of Belgorod itself is also subject to closures.
The frequent attacks have brought the war in Ukraine to Russians largely isolated from the conflict.
“The situation is quite difficult both in the city and in the Belgorod district. Naturally, the issue of security is the most important for all of us,” wrote Gladkov.
“Of course, teachers, nannies and technical staff are worried,” he pondered.
Schools and colleges in the affected districts have been effectively closed since Tuesday night last week, when Gladkov announced that students would undertake what he called “self-learning days” until Friday.
At the time of the announcement, he highlighted that he hoped schools would be able to resume normal activities on Monday.
Increase in border attacks
Ukraine has been attacking the Belgorod region since the first half of 2023, but intensified shelling and attacks about a week ago.
Just like elsewhere in Russia, people in Belgorod are voting in the Russian presidential election. Voting continued for a second day on Saturday, with authorities detaining several Russians for allegedly engaging in acts of civil disobedience.
On Saturday, Gladkov also said two people were killed in morning attacks, including a truck driver whose vehicle was hit by a projectile.
The Russian Defense Ministry said in a post on its Telegram channel that Russian forces had repelled attempts by Ukrainian fighters to infiltrate Russia in several locations, saying they had carried out “a complex fire attack against concentrations of manpower and enemy equipment.”
Belgorod residents have been posting videos on regional social media platforms showing explosions in the city and fires in front of residential buildings where Ukrainian attacks took place.
In one video, a woman can be heard telling her mother that she is afraid to leave her apartment.
Earlier this week, groups of pro-Ukrainian Russian fighters said they carried out an attack in Belgorod as the city came under heavy drone attacks and shelling.
At least five people have been killed in the last week, according to a tally by CNN, and several dozen were injured.
Source: CNN Brasil
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