Belgorod [Russia], July 23: Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov has banned people from visiting 14 border areas that are frequently attacked by Ukrainian forces, according to Reuters.
Checkpoints will be set up outside these areas. Public transport to these areas will be banned. People wishing to visit must notify local authorities in advance.
"Only adult men are allowed to come, but with strict rules: in armored vehicles with military electronics and wearing bulletproof vests and helmets, accompanied by military personnel or local officials," said Mr. Gladkov.
The official did not say whether civilians in those areas had been evacuated. He only said that all property would be carefully guarded and that leaving women and children in the restricted area was unacceptable.
Russia's southern border provinces, especially settlements near the border at Belgorod, have been subjected to drone attacks and shelling almost daily.
The Kremlin has ordered the defense of the territory against Ukrainian attacks and the safety of areas and infrastructure.
In May, Russian forces launched a cross-border offensive from Belgorod into Ukraine's Kharkiv province in what was seen as an attempt to establish a buffer zone. The Russian military claimed to have taken control of several towns and villages, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently said Kyiv had stabilized the situation at the border.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper