- It is no longer possible to remain silent about this

The short version

Many children were evacuated from the Belgorod region.
The region is subject to missile and drone attacks from pro-Ukrainian forces.
The region's residents feel neglected by Putin and the Russian authorities.
The attacks in Belgorod are a propaganda problem, but not necessarily a military problem for Moscow.

The Belgorod region's border with Ukraine is 540 kilometers long, and has been subject to attacks by pro-Ukrainian forces for a long time.

It's gotten really bad Governor of the region It was decided that 9,000 children should be evacuated from the affected areas.

At the same time, three paramilitary groups, which according to their own statements consist of Russian opponents of the Kremlin, claim that they are still operating inside Russia and that their attacks will reportedly continue. Independent Kyiv.

According to independent Russian media Medusa Regular Ukrainian forces are also behind the attacks on Belgorod.

– It has become so serious for Moscow that it is no longer possible to remain silent about it, Lieutenant Colonel Joachim Pasikevi of the Swedish Academy for Advanced Studies tells VG.

– This obviously causes such great problems that the Russians must strengthen their defenses in these border areas. Pasekivi continues to ask: Where will they get the troops?

Three pro-Ukrainian militia leaders held a press conference in Kiev recently, talking about exactly this: that they want to support Russian forces who would otherwise operate inside Ukraine.

Vladimir Putin during a visit to an Air Force training facility on Wednesday. Photo: Mikhail Metzel/Sputnik/Kremlin Bull/Pool/EPA/NTB

Russian President Vladimir Putin recently confirmed that Russia will ensure security in the region.

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– There are different ways to do this, and it is not easy, but we will do it.

The previous day, in a speech to the Federal Security Service, the former KGB, he said they must take tough action against Russians who took part in attacks in southern Russia. He claimed that Russian fighters loyal to Ukraine, along with foreign mercenaries and Ukrainian forces, were behind the attacks.

This man belongs to one of the pro-Ukrainian Russian paramilitary forces, which operates on the border between Ukraine and Russia. The photo is taken from the press conference they held in Kiev on Thursday. Photo: Sergey Dolzhenko/EPA/NTB

– As for these traitors, we must not forget who they are, and we must recognize them, Putin said.

He said that “traitors” must be punished wherever they are.

Meanwhile, more and more residents of the region seem to feel forgotten by the authorities in Moscow.

– Belgorod is Russia, don't forget it, writes Yelena Starostova, a local journalist in Belgorod, on Russian social media. VKontakte.

The Bereg press group spoke with Belgorod residents – and their interviews were published by Medusa:

– Marina (23 years old) says: – I hope that Putin will come and see what he did to our city.

– While Belgorod residents send comments to the federal authorities about the bombing, Putin smiles slyly at the TV screen and talks about victory. The streets of Belgorod are filled with banners reading “The fight for Russia continues.” But who really threatens Russia?

Another woman, Anna (24), talks about the elections:

– I think many people voted for Putin. For the person who caused all this, the person who made us take shelter from the bombing, the person who caused people to die.

Shards of glass were removed after the attack at Belgorod Arena on Thursday. Photo: Stringer/AFP/NTB

– In the period leading up to the presidential elections, Putin traveled to all different regions, but he did not come to the Belgorod region. He was not bombed like me. What Belgorod residents went through over the past week was a nightmare. We have paid the price for the last two years of war.

Peter Viggo Jacobsen of the Danish Defense Academy tells VG:

– What is happening in Belgorod primarily angers Moscow. They are not losing the war there. He says that this is more a propaganda problem than a military problem.

-But now it is also mentioned publicly?

– Yes, it is not possible to keep everything secret, even in Russia where there is almost a monopoly on the media. People know they don't get the whole truth through the media, but there is a vast rumor mill where information travels from mouth to mouth quickly. It is not possible to bear the costs that war brings, neither in the form of deaths and injuries nor financially.

In two electoral districts in the Belgorod region, Vladimir Putin received 100 percent support, according to the Electoral Commission. Dozjed reports.

Last week, residents of an area in the Belgorod region were asked to evacuate. According to Radio Free Europe, the Graivoronsky district was attacked by Ukrainian and pro-Ukrainian forces.