Russia to Evacuate Some Residents From Belgorod Amid Shelling

Authorities in western Russia's Belgorod region on Friday offered to move some residents from its capital city to safety following intense shelling by Ukrainian forces over the past week. 

The announcement came a day after rocket attacks wounded at least two people and knocked out glass from high-rise buildings, sparking panic among residents.

"I see several appeals on social media where people write 'We're are scared, help us get to a safe place,'" Belgorod region Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said in a video message shared online. 

"Of course, we will. We have already moved several families," he added.

Gladkov said residents would be moved to the towns of Stary Oskol and Gubkin, further from the border with Ukraine, where they would be housed in "comfortable conditions."

"You will stay there for as long as necessary," he added, but warned there would not be enough temporary housing to accommodate everybody.

"I will appeal to my colleagues, the governors of other regions, to help us," the governor said.

Belgorod city hall had earlier warned homeowners to secure their windows with tape to protect them from blast waves amid increasing rocket attacks. 

The Kremlin has tried to maintain a semblance of normalcy inside Russia, but recent deadly strikes on Belgorod have brought the war closer to home.

The city of Belgorod lies some 30 kilometers from the border with Ukraine and has repeatedly come under what Moscow calls indiscriminate attacks by Ukrainian forces.

On Saturday, authorities said unprecedented Ukrainian strikes on the city killed 25 people — the worst attack against Russian civilians since the war began in February 2022.