Attacks on the Belgorod border region bring war to Russia. Schebekino is like a ghost town, the remaining people obviously feel abandoned.
Schebekino – The number of drone attacks in Russian border regions has recently increased. The village of Schebekino in the Belgorod region has also come under repeated fire in recent weeks. The authorities called on the population to get to safety – today Schebekino resembles a ghost town. The few remaining people believe Moscow has let them down. But apparently they have no doubts about Vladimir Putin and his war.
The Ukraine war comes to Russia: Belgorod under heavy shelling
Never since the start of the Ukraine war has the border region of Belgorod been hit so hard by attacks as it has in the past few weeks. In May alone, the oblast was shelled 130 times, according to Russian authorities. Eight people are said to have died and 60 were injured, according to Russian sources. That fueled fear. The governor of Belgorod, Vyacheslav Gladkov, called on residents of the border region to leave the area in early June after days of shelling. Protect what is most important: your life and that of your loved ones,” says Gladkow.
Many responded to the call: Once a city with over 40,000 residents, today they remain loud Moscow Times only 2,700 people left in Schebkino, most of them without electricity, running water and at times even without telephone connections. “They tried to persuade me to leave but I said no, I’m old, I have a dog, I’m very ill,” a 73-year-old resident told the newspaper. The New York Times reported on Monday that there were only around a thousand residents left.
Military analysts believe that Kyiv is pursuing certain tactics in intensifying attacks on the border region. Ukraine may want to force Moscow to position troops near the border – which could weaken defenses in other sectors of the front. Acts of sabotage and partisan attacks were also reported in the Belgorod region in May Russia “surprised” according to US think tank Institute for the Study of War.
Remaining residents blame Moscow, but support for Putin remains the same
Only a few people still live in the ghost town of Schebekino. Most fled either to friends, family or to established emergency shelters, such as in the regional capital of Belgorod. The local authorities promised those affected by the evacuation a one-time compensation of between 10,000 and 50,000 rubles (between 111 and about 604 euros), as the Russian state media agency Ria Novosti announced on Thursday. This caused some excitement in the short message service Telegram. “They started a war and now they want to stuff people’s mouths with pennies,” read a Telegram comment. Many of those affected by the resettlement are noisy New York Times poor pensioners.
“They forgot us, we were left alone,” criticized a former resident who wished to remain anonymous, criticizing Moscow’s lack of support for the Moscow Times. In Schebekino, Russian volunteers are supporting the survivors with food and medical care. According to their own statements, they had no approval or support from the city. You are not allowed to go back, but the authorities would not explain why, criticized another former resident of the Moscow Times. However, the destruction of Schebkino has apparently not changed the basic support for Putin and his war. “We believe in Mr. Putin, who said that victory will be ours,” said a woman from the border region New York Times.
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