The Russian border region of Belgorod is now gripped by fear and terror as the war in Ukraine spills over. Once spared from direct conflict, residents are now facing the brutal realities of war.
Local residents have taken to social media to appeal to Russian President Vladimir Putin for assistance, reporting intense shelling by Ukrainian forces.
Cry for Help
According to the Frankfurter Rundschau, one mother described the dire situation, stating that her children have been learning from home for months and often have to seek shelter.
"Our children cry at night out of fear," she stated.
Political scientist Frank Umbach told n-tv that unlike Russian tactics, Ukraine does not specifically target civilians.
Despite this, the fears of Belgorod residents are palpable and mirror the experiences of those in the contested Ukrainian regions of Kharkiv, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia, and the cities of Mariupol, Kyiv, Kherson, and Odessa.
On July 1, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov reported major power outages in Belgorod following attacks on a power substation.
Videos show nighttime explosions causing damage to electricity and gas supplies, with the city of Stary Oskol also affected.
The situation is escalating as Russian troops attempt to establish a buffer zone to halt the shelling, but so far, they have made little progress.
