The governor of the Belgorod oblast Vyacheslav Gladkov acknowledged that evacuation of civilians from several border towns is no longer possible due to the high risk for the evacuation team. He revealed this in a video address to the region's residents.
The regional leader stated that local authorities had urged residents to evacuate, but some initially refused. However, after the situation escalated, they expressed a desire to leave for a safer place.
"At first, people said, 'No, we will stay', but as the shelling intensified, they said, 'Take us out'", - criticized the governor for such recklessness.
According to him, now "it is practically impossible to provide physical assistance for evacuation without risking the lives of other people".