Since the start of the year, the city of Belgorod, located on the border between Russia and Ukraine, has faced an intensification of Ukrainian strikes. Faced with this increasingly dangerous situation, the Russian authorities took the decision to evacuate nearly 400 residents of the city, thus marking a turning point in this war which has lasted for more than a year now.
This is the first time that Russia has organized an evacuation of this scale within a major city since the start of the conflict in February 2022. Until now, the bombings have mainly focused on border areas, but the he attack on December 30 which caused the death of 25 civilians in Belgorod pushed the Russian authorities to take measures to protect the population.
The evacuations began on January 5 and mainly affected families with children and the elderly. Residents were taken to hotels converted into reception centers in the towns of Stary Oskol, Gubkin and Korotchansky, far from the border. Schools have also agreed to welcome children from Belgorod to neighboring regions.
Despite the evacuations, some residents have chosen to stay in the city, saying that it is their land, their home, and that they are ready to face the bombings. Natalia, a resident of Belgorod, says she sent her children to safety but refuses to leave her husband who works in the city. She says that despite the fear, the population remains united and supports the defenders of the border.
These evacuations illustrate the seriousness of the situation in this region and show that the war continues to wreak havoc. Russian authorities have said they will do everything to stop Ukrainian strikes on Belgorod, while Ukraine has denounced Russian strikes that have caused the deaths of several civilians in Ukraine. The conflict continues and it is more important than ever to find a peaceful solution to end this violence which affects the daily lives of thousands of people.