Residents concerned after Russian military’s defense line ‘cuts off’ village in Belgorod region, leaving it exposed to Ukraine

A village in Russia’s Belgorod region has been left “on the front line” since the Russian military built a defense line dividing it from the rest of the region, according to local resident Sergey Yermakov.

Belgorod Regional Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov read Yermakov’s complaint aloud during his daily livestream on Wednesday. He then told his constituents that because the defense line’s construction falls under the purview of the Defense Ministry, and since the circumstances make it impossible for the barrier to be built directly on the border with Ukraine, there’s nothing he can do.

“The fact that certain settlements or properties are in front of or behind the line does not mean that anybody has been abandoned or is not protected… It’s a necessary measure to sober up our enemies who are thinking of doing something bad. I hope that won’t happen,” said Gladkov.

Neither Yermakov nor Gladkov named the specific village or villages that have been left exposed.