Russian governor declares state of emergency in Belgorod region

The governor of Russia’s Belgorod region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, has announced a state of emergency due to the ongoing crisis in the area. According to Reuters, Gladkov described the situation as “extremely difficult and tense,” prompting the regional declaration with plans to request a federal emergency declaration.

Belgorod, which borders Ukraine’s Kharkiv region and is near Kursk—where Ukraine has conducted a surprise offensive—has recently faced attacks from Ukrainian drones. Gladkov reported that two settlements in the Belgorod region were struck by drones, although there were no reported casualties.

In Shebekino, drone attacks caused a fire in an apartment building, which led to structural damage and a disruption to the gas supply.

As per reports, it is the largest drone attack to date, targeting four Russian military airfields, according to a Ukrainian security source who spoke to Reuters on Wednesday. The operation aimed to hinder Russia’s capacity to deploy warplanes for gliding bomb attacks.

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In related developments, Ukrainian forces reported downing a Russian Su-34 fighter-bomber. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy highlighted Ukraine’s continued focus on the eastern front, stating, “We are not forgetting our eastern front for a second.” He has instructed the Commander-in-Chief to enhance efforts in this area with support from international partners.

Zelenskyy also noted progress in the Kursk region, where Ukrainian troops have advanced between one to two kilometres in various areas since the start of the day. Additionally, over 100 Russian servicemen have been captured during this period.