Russia-Ukraine War: Belgorod Gov Warns Grayvoron Residents To Stay Away

• Says city not yet safe for returnees 

Governor of the Belgorod region in Russia, Vyacheslav Gladkov, has posted an update on Telegram urging Grayvoron residents not to return to their homes because “It is not worth it yet”.

However, Gladkov, who disclosed that there have been “no civilian deaths” as a result of the attacks, said; “There are no civilian deaths to date. All necessary actions on the part of law enforcement agencies are being carried out. We are waiting for the completion of the counter-terrorist operation that was announced yesterday”.

Posting an update on the wounded civilians caught up in the fighting inside Russia’s border after Monday’s incursion, the Governor wrote; “The couple was taken to the city hospital No 2. The woman has shrapnel wounds on the lower extremities, and the state of traumatic shock is severe. The man with abdominal wounds is in a state of moderate severity. Now they are in the emergency department under the close supervision of doctors. All necessary medical assistance is provided.”

Though the claims have not been independently verified, the governor urged residents to stay away from the area for now, stating that works to clear the scene were still ongoing at the moment.

Fighting broke out along the Russian border with Ukraine on Monday after self-described Russian partisan forces claimed to have overrun a border village within Russia for the first time in the war.

The Freedom of Russia Legion, which describes itself as an anti-Kremlin militia seeking to liberate Russia from Vladimir Putin, said it had crossed the border and overrun the settlement of Kozinka while sending units into the town of Grayvoron in Russia’s Belgorod region.

Footage of the raid, purportedly from a border checkpoint in Grayvoron, showed casualties including a Russian officer lying face down in a pool of blood next to Russian passports and other documents scattered on the floor. The video also showed armoured vehicles appearing to overrun the post.

Governor Gladkov said eight people were wounded after Grayvoron came under Ukrainian artillery fire while news agencies also reported that most residents had left the area but the situation remained “tense”.