Russia Declares Federal Emergency in Belgorod Region

On August 15, Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry declared a federal emergency in Belgorod region, marking the 10th day of Ukraine's incursion into Russian territory.

Belgorod region Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov had initially declared a state of emergency on August 14, citing an "extremely difficult" situation and indicating his intention to request a federal state of emergency.

Emergency Situations Minister Aleksandr Kurenkov confirmed the federal emergency declaration during an extraordinary meeting of the Russian government's Commission on Preventing and Eliminating Emergency Situations.

Kurenkov stated that authorities in Belgorod region have organized "comprehensive assistance to the affected population" but noted that the scale of the situation prevents the region from managing the emergency independently.

The Ministry also reported issues with "unjustified price increases for food and essential goods" in the region. Kurenkov instructed the Federal Antimonopoly Service to address these concerns.

Gladkov reported that over the past day, Ukrainian drones and munitions had attacked several settlements on the border with Kharkiv region. Russian attacks on Kharkiv region are regularly launched from Belgorod region.

On August 12, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy officially announced that Ukraine is carrying out an operation in Russia's Kursk region. Recent reports indicate that Ukraine is now in control of 74 settlements, covering approximately 1,000 square kilometers of Russian territory. Zelenskyy also mentioned that hundreds of Russian soldiers have surrendered to Ukrainian forces.