Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
The governor has also ordered retail outlets within 15 kilometers of the border to be equipped with protective structures.
Ukraine has increasingly aimed at “bringing that war back to Russia”, trying to make the Russian public feel the that there is in fact a war in Ukraine.
The reasoning is that Russia’s massive territorial size and increasing censorship from the Kremlin could potentially shield the citizens of Russia from feeling any effects of the war in their everyday life.
By bringing the war back to Russia, Kyiv hopes to build dissatisfaction with the war, now in its fifth year, and thus put domestic pressure on the Kremlin to stop the fighting.
One Russian region in particular has felt the effect of the war. In the region of Belgorod, which shares a border with Ukraine, the authorities plan to use armored vehicles with electronic warfare systems to deliver food and mail, as drone strikes increasingly disrupt daily life.
The Moscow Times reported, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov instructed local officials to organize deliveries using protected transport equipped with drone detectors.
A “military operation”
He described the effort as comparable to a “military operation,” according to local outlet Pepel.
“Commercial companies are no longer delivering goods at their own risk — this is being done either by shop owners or sales staff,” Gladkov said according to the outlet. “I ask municipal leaders to pay special attention to delivering food and correspondence using armored vehicles. I forbid the use of such equipment without detectors and electronic warfare systems.”
The border region has faced repeated shelling and drone attacks since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Protective measures for shops
At the same meeting, Gladkov ordered protective measures for shops within 15 kilometers of the border.
Instead of modular bomb shelters, which he said cannot be installed due to constant attacks, authorities will reinforce buildings with sandbags and anti-drone netting.
He had earlier promised to deploy 718 modular shelters across vulnerable areas.
Gladkov also warned that internet outages have left residents unaware of incoming attacks.
Sources: Pepel, Fonar, The Moscow Times
