Ukraine war: Russia restricts civilian access to 14 villages in southern Belgorod
File photo.
Russia on Tuesday (July 16) restricted access to 14 villages in southern Belgorod region bordering Ukraine, citing the"extremely difficult" situation there due to Ukrainian shelling. In a post on Telegram, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said that from next week,only adult men accompanying military or government officials would be allowed into the settlements.
The men must travel in armoured vehicles and wear bulletproof vests and helmets, Governor Gladkov said. "I hope you will agree that it is unacceptable to let women and children into settlements that are shelled every day. We have already lost a lot of civilians, we have a lot of wounded. And, of course, our task is to maximise security measures," he added.
A constant frustration for Kremlin
Belgorod comes under frequent fire from Ukrainian shelling and drones, with four civilians injured overnight on Tuesday, the news agency Reuters reported. The routine attacks onthe regionhave been a source of constant frustration for the Kremlin.
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Last week,Ukrainian strikes in the Belgorod region killed four people in 24 hours, while 20 more were injured, the news agency AFP reported.
More than 200 civilians have been killed in the Belgorod region since the start of the war between Russia and Ukraine in late February 2022. More than 1,100 have been wounded.
The timing of the announcement
The announcement of the restrictions came aday after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signalled he would welcome Russia to attend a future peace summit on ending the conflict, now in its third year.
The invitation marked a change of tone from last month when Kyiv excluded Moscow from a high-level peace conference in Switzerland.
Reacting toZelensky's invitation, the Kremlin said, "The first peace summit was not a peace summit at all. So perhaps it is necessary to first understand what he means."
(With inputs from agencies)