5,000 Children Evacuated from Belgorod After Ukraine Attacks

Belgorod, Russia: Following weeks of devastating Ukrainian shelling, authorities have evacuated five thousand children from the Russian region of Belgorod bordering Ukraine, announced the governor of the region on Saturday.

Last week, regional authorities relocated 9,000 minors to other areas after a wave of cross-border shelling and drone strikes resulted in the deaths of over ten civilians, according to the French news agency, AFP.

Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov stated, "Five thousand of our children are now outside the region. Yesterday, 1,300 children arrived in St. Petersburg, Bryansk, and Makhachkala," adding that the remaining children in the area, residing in municipalities near the border, including the regional capital bearing the same name, Belgorod, will transition to remote learning next month.

Businesses forced to close due to the attacks will be allowed to reopen, as long as "employees are trained in first aid," while measures have been taken to prevent window breakage.

Belgorod has been repeatedly targeted by what Russian officials describe as "random Ukrainian attacks" since the conflict began over two years ago.

On Friday, a Ukrainian drone struck and crashed into a multi-story residential building in the city of Belgorod, resulting in the death of one man and injuring two others, including his wife, according to Gladkov.