The governor of the Russian region of Belgorod declared a state of emergency on Wednesday, August 14, citing an “extremely difficult” situation due to the bombardments by Ukrainian forces in this border area.
“The situation in our Belgorod region remains extremely difficult and tense due to the shelling of the Ukrainian armed forces. Houses have been destroyed, civilians have died and been injured,” Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov wrote on Telegram. “In order to ensure increased protection of the population and provide additional support to the victims, a state of emergency will be declared at the regional level,” starting Wednesday, he added.
Vyacheslav Gladkov reported attacks by Ukrainian drones on two villages in the region, Shebekino and Ustinka. Authorities in the Kursk, Voronezh and Bryansk regions also reported that drones from Ukraine had been shot down by Russian air defenses during the night.
Ukraine controls 800 km2 of Russian soil
Since August 6, Ukraine has been conducting a major offensive in the Kursk region, which borders Voronezh, claiming to have conquered more than 1,000 km2 of Russian territory. The Russian authorities, for their part, acknowledged on Monday the loss of 28 localities and Ukrainian territorial gains extending over an area 40 kilometers wide and 12 kilometers deep.
Ukraine claimed new advances into Russian territory on Tuesday, saying it had captured 74 towns in the Kursk region.
© / Paz PIZARRO, Valentin RAKOVSKY, Cléa PECULIER / AFP
According to calculations made by AFP on Tuesday from Russian sources relayed by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), an American think tank, Ukrainian troops have advanced 800 km2 in the Kursk region. For comparison, Russia has advanced 1,360 km2 in Ukrainian territory since January 1, 2024, according to AFP’s analysis.