The governor of Russia’s Belgorod area stated a number of areas could be closed to most civilians.
Russia has denied that its floor offensive within the Kharkiv area of northeastern Ukraine is failing after an official stated it might seal off border villages to guard them from Ukrainian shelling.
Belgorod regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov stated on Tuesday that civilian entry to 14 villages bordering Russia could be restricted given the present depth of the assaults.
Requested whether or not this meant the Kharkiv operation had failed, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated on Wednesday: “No, it doesn’t.”
“This operation is ongoing and can proceed till it’s efficiently accomplished,” he instructed reporters.
“However till that is accomplished, the kyiv regime’s barbaric assaults on civilian infrastructure proceed. With the intention to take the required measures to make sure the security of the inhabitants, new practices are being launched,” he stated.
In Could, Russia launched a shock assault on Kharkiv, a neighbour of Russia’s Belgorod area, in an try and push again Ukrainian forces and set up what Russian President Vladimir Putin known as a “buffer zone.”
However the Institute for the Examine of Warfare, a US suppose tank, stated Ukrainian forces have been largely slowing the Russian advance across the metropolis of Kharkiv.
Metropolis officers introduced Wednesday that they may construct a sequence of underground faculties to guard kids from Russian bombing.
Saying the safety measures, Belgorod’s governor stated greater than 200 folks had been killed and tons of extra injured within the area on account of Ukrainian shelling.
He stated entry to the border zone will probably be restricted beginning subsequent Tuesday and solely grownup males carrying bulletproof vests and helmets will probably be allowed by way of checkpoints.
“I hope you’ll agree with me that it’s unacceptable to permit girls and kids into settlements which might be being bombed each day,” Gladkov stated.
Final week, Ukrainian assaults within the Belgorod area additionally killed 4 folks in a 24-hour interval and injured 20 others.
Ukraine has argued that its responses to Russian assaults and elevated assaults on Russian territory all through the battle are justified. Ukraine was additionally compelled to ship troops to strengthen the world after Russia launched its new offensive.
Prisoner exchanges
Nevertheless, on Wednesday, the 2 international locations exchanged 95 prisoners of struggle every, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Russian Protection Ministry stated.
The change was the 54th since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and was brokered by the United Arab Emirates.
We proceed to convey our folks residence. One other 95 defenders have been launched from Russian captivity. These are troopers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Nationwide Guard and border guards.
I want to thank our staff liable for exchanges and the Arab States… picture.twitter.com/ozVW5wQ1Ie
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 17, 2024
Neither facet has disclosed what number of prisoners of struggle there are in complete, however they’ve carried out periodic prisoner exchanges by way of intermediaries for the reason that struggle started practically two years in the past, regardless of the absence of peace talks.