CNN
—
The Russian border region of Belgorod declared a state of emergency on Wednesday after fresh attacks by Ukrainian forces, which Kyiv claimed seized hundreds of square miles of Russian territory after its rare cross-border incursion.
“The situation in the Belgorod region continues to be very difficult and tense,” Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Kladkov said in a video message posted on his Telegram account.
The announcement came after Belgorod began evacuations on Monday as a result of Ukrainian advances, following Kiev’s sudden incursion into neighboring Kursk region last week.
It was a significant shift in tactics for Ukraine and marked the first time foreign troops entered Russian territory since World War II.
Regional authorities are now appealing to the Russian government to declare a federal emergency, Klatkov said.
He added that two locations in Belgorod, the town of Shebekino and the village of Ustinga, were hit by Ukrainian drones. There were no casualties but two residences were damaged.
Russia’s National Guard said on Wednesday that security around the Kursk nuclear power plant in southwestern Russia had been beefed up following the sudden intrusion. The National Guard, known as the ‘Rosguardia’, said it had taken “extra measures” to protect the power station.
Last week, the International Atomic Energy Agency said it was “monitoring the situation regarding alleged military activities in the vicinity of the Kursk nuclear power plant,” with its director-general, Rafael Mariano Croci, urging both sides to “exercise maximum restraint.” In order to avoid a “nuclear accident”.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Defense Ministry said Wednesday it had destroyed dozens of drones and four tactical missiles over the Kursk region, part of a barrage that included 117 “aircraft-type” drones by the country’s air defenses overnight.
Voronezh, a southwestern region bordering both Kursk and Belgorod, has destroyed more than 35 drones launched by Ukraine, Governor Alexander Kusev said on Wednesday.
There were no casualties, but property, vehicles and municipal infrastructure were damaged by the collapse, and there was a risk of drone strikes, he said.
Tens of thousands of Russians have fled their homes since the incursion into Ukraine began, while Moscow has struggled to contain the onslaught, imposing anti-terror measures in Kursk, Belgorod and another border region, Bryansk.
On Monday, Kyiv said it had gained control of the same amount of land Russia has seized so far this year — though it is still dwarfed by Russia’s total Ukrainian territory since the conflict began in 2014.
On Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said its forces were in control of 74 settlements in Kursk and were preparing for “further operations” in the region.
The incursion has caused major embarrassment for the Kremlin, with Russian President Vladimir Putin vowing to “drive the enemy out” of Russia – although his troops have yet to halt the Ukrainian advance.
US President Joe Biden addressed the intrusion on Tuesday, saying he was receiving regular updates from staff and that it was “creating a real embarrassment for Putin”.
