The governor of Russia’s Belgorod Oblast, Vyacheslav Gladkov, revealed on Tuesday in a Telegram video message that 120 civilians have been killed and 651 individuals injured in the area since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. The Belgorod region is located on the border between Russia and Ukraine.

In the video message, Gladkov lamented 20 deaths in a recent accident, including 11 children in Ranino. Furthermore, he disclosed that 651 people, including 51 children, have suffered severe injuries since the war, some of whom have undergone amputations. Gladkov also expressed his concerns for the safety of citizens during the upcoming Orthodox Easter on May 5. He emphasized the need for vigilance, stating that the region remains vulnerable to Ukrainian strikes.

In December 2023, Russia accused Ukraine of employing internationally prohibited cluster munitions in strikes on Belgorod, resulting in the death of 18 people, including three children, and injuring 108 others. More recently, in January 2024, Russia accused Ukraine of intentionally shooting down a Russian Military Transport plane carrying 65 Ukrainian Military personnel in the Belgorod region. The incident was allegedly part of a planned exchange of prisoners of war.

According to CNN, the war has taken a toll on essential services in the region, with shops and eateries closing their doors and food deliveries becoming increasingly sporadic as the situation deteriorates.

In response to the continuous shelling by Ukraine, Russian authorities in March 2024 announced plans to evacuate approximately 9,000 children from the border region. The children will be relocated eastward to Penza, Tambov and Kaluga, as reported by Russian state media TASS.