In the wake of repeated Ukrainian artillery strikes, around 93 students were relocated from the Russian city of Belgorod, located near the border, as reported by the area’s governor.
The evacuation, which included around 300 citizens, is the largest from a significant Russian city since the beginning of Russia’s military action in Ukraine in February 2022.
A group of children was transferred to the adjacent Voronezh region, which is situated further from the border.
This move was confirmed by Vyacheslav Gladkov, the Governor of the Belgorod region, on Telegram. He mentioned that 93 children, ranging from the first to the fourth grade and hailing from various Belgorod schools, will spend time in youth recreational camps.
The children will participate in a diverse program of leisure and educational activities and will remain there for a minimum of 21 days.
Following a series of missile attacks on Belgorod, which reportedly resulted in 25 fatalities, Russia declared on Tuesday that its military would take all necessary steps to halt the Ukrainian bombardment of the city.
A missile strike on December 30 is believed to have killed 25 individuals and injured more than 100, though Ukraine has not acknowledged responsibility for the attack.
Some Ukrainian media outlets, citing anonymous sources within Ukraine’s intelligence services, reported that Ukrainian forces targeted military installations in Belgorod on December 30.
According to these sources, the debris from the weapons used fell in the city center due to the Russian air defense’s unprofessional handling.
These events have prompted some residents to leave Belgorod, which has an estimated population of 340,000.
On January 6, Belgorod’s Mayor, Valentin Demidov, announced the cancellation of church services on the eve of Russian Orthodox Christmas, citing the ongoing operational situation.
