Second Russian Region Declares State of Emergency After Ukraine Attack
-
Loading... - Dalia Taha
- 15 Aug 2024
- 54 Views
- 0 Like
- 0 Comment
A state of emergency has been declared in the Russian border region of Belgorod following attacks by Ukrainian forces. This comes after Ukraine's surprise cross-border attack in Russia's Kursk region last week, which led to mass evacuations and a state of emergency being declared by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov described the situation as "extremely difficult" due to daily shelling in the region. He stated that houses have been destroyed, civilians have died and been injured, and appealed to the government to declare an emergency "at the federal level" like in Kursk. According to Governor Gladkov, the city of Shebekino and the village of Ustinka were attacked by Ukrainian drones, with no casualties reported as of yet. Russia claims to have shot down 117 drones overnight, mainly targeting four regions - Kursk, Voronezh, Belgorod, and Nizhny Novgorod.
Shelling and shrapnel have damaged a church, 14 houses, an administrative building, several vehicles, and a gas supply line. One civilian was wounded as a direct result of a drone attack in the urban Shebekinsky district.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed that troops had advanced 1-2km further into Kursk since the start of the day. However, Moscow claims it has stopped Ukrainian forces from advancing further into the region. The exact amount of Russian territory seized is uncertain, and there is skepticism over Ukraine's claims.
Ukraine's foreign ministry spokesman Heorhiy Tykhy stated that Kyiv is not interested in "taking over" Russian territory and that the raids will stop once Russia agrees to restore a just peace. President Putin claimed that Ukraine had refused Russian proposals to return to a peaceful settlement plan. US President Biden said that the offensive was "creating a real dilemma for Putin". The prime ministers of Finland and Estonia expressed support for Ukraine's military operation in Kursk, while the German Foreign Ministry stated that Ukraine was entitled to self-defense, which was "not limited to its own territory".
