'Afraid for our children': Residents of Russia's Belgorod evacuate as Ukrainian strikes intensify

Russian authorities began to evacuate the residents of Belgorod, Russia, on January 5, after Ukrainian air strikes on the border town intensified. The evacuation of hundreds of Belgorod residents is a first in the war that began with the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 – Russia has not previously carried out such a large evacuation on its territory. Natalia, a resident of Belgorod, told our team that she sent her children to the outskirts of the town in a bid to keep them safe.