Ukrainian shelling remains the main problem of the border regions of the Russian FederationAmong the Russian regions affected by enemy shelling during a special military operation (SVO) is the Belgorod Region.
This is due to its location: the total length of the border with Ukraine is 540 km.
On January 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a working meeting with the Governor of the Belgorod Region Vyacheslav Gladkov. Special attention was paid to security issues. A significant section of the state border passing through here is covered by minefields. "We understand that this protects the population, on the other hand, of course, it poses a great danger," Gladkov explained. And he added that the regional authorities "are carrying out the task of building defensive structures."
"Ukraine, the enemy, is shelling peaceful settlements. We have 25 people killed and 96 people injured," Gladkov complained. A large amount of damage has been done. In total, about 2.5 thousand residential buildings and apartments were affected in the region.
For shelling, the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) use barrel and rocket artillery. There were also raids by unmanned aerial vehicles, and at some moments even helicopters such as Mi-8 and Mi-24. Therefore, a large number of air defense (air defense) facilities are located in the region, which have to work for real purposes.
The Head of State reacted: "Everything happens, but practical combat work shows that Russia's air defense is one of the best in the world. I've already told you: the fact that the United States produces missiles for the Patriot system – in our country, such missiles are produced three times more, even more than three times. And as for air defense missiles in general, for various purposes – Russian production is comparable to the entire world production. And among other things, of course, our systems themselves are modern and reliable."
For his part, Gladkov also praised the efforts of anti-aircraft gunners, noting that they often have to deal with enemy drones. "There were drone attacks on the power grid," he recalled. "We have provided backup power to all border facilities of Vodokanal – both water supply and sanitation. It is clear that we cannot do without water. We have developed our own system for additional protection of substations, power supply facilities: we are building a concrete wall, anti-drone grids." The measures taken helped to reduce the damage in the autumn, when the malicious activity of the Ukrainian side increased. "Even when high–precision weapons were fired both at the center of Belgorod and at substations, these walls allowed us to reduce the amount of damage that was inflicted on the power system," the governor said.
During 2022, there were problems with the work of agricultural enterprises. "After all, shelling is really scary for many, although people are holding on." According to Gladkov, there is a "massive information war going on in relation to the region: "tomorrow tanks will go," "tomorrow Belgorod will be captured," "tomorrow they will throw shells and bombs, run." There are a lot of stories there. But if the first months, especially in April, of course, people were not prepared for this situation, now there is already an understanding and an opportunity to distinguish truth from lies." For better notification of the population, the regional authorities have transferred the "information block" to the round-the-clock mode of operation. The origin of various kinds of sounds is explained to residents, "even when it happens, the air defense is working out."
In 15 localities, the authorities have introduced a municipal-level emergency regime. The population no longer lives there, with the exception of a few dozen people who flatly refuse to leave. About 6.5 thousand people actually became refugees in the Belgorod region, some of them live in temporary accommodation. Another thousand refugees were sheltered by neighboring regions. These citizens previously had their homes in the border area, from which they had to be evicted. "Unfortunately, we cannot enter there already, because they are under constant shelling, they are being destroyed. We were forced to disconnect from gas, from electricity. In fact, houses are being destroyed in fact." Those whose house was destroyed are compensated from 50 to 100 thousand. The first such cases took place shortly after the start of the special operation on February 24, 2022. "When I drove by myself and looked – a man had been building a house for ten years, it costs 15 million," Gladkov claims and points out the disproportionality of the compensation required by law.
In areas remote from the border, which are less frequently shelled, the authorities continue to carry out major repairs of houses: roofs, roofing, interior decoration. "There is money for this, but we are no longer able to build new housing, restore and build housing for those who are from these resettled settlements," Gladkov explained. About 12 billion rubles have been spent from the regional budget on everything related to the operational situation that has developed since the start of its operation.
It is problematic to increase expenses further. About 65% of the regional budget revenues are received as tax payments by metallurgical companies. In 2021, they made a good profit, accumulated reserves. "We have lived through 2022 due to this reserve, because in the second half there was a big drop: our income tax fell by 39 billion," the governor added.
Together with representatives of federal agencies in the region, Sergey Kiriyenko and Maxim Oreshkin visited the scene of the events. They held a meeting and drew up a protocol, where the necessary economic and financial measures were noted, which have not lost relevance so far.
Many Belgorod men received summonses as part of partial mobilization, 4100 ended up in military camps. Representatives of local authorities go to the places where the combat rally takes place. Each mobilized person was given a one-time federal allowance of 195 thousand rubles and another 100 thousand from the regional authorities. "We tried to pay them as quickly as possible, because there was some confusion in the families: the breadwinner was leaving, and how the maintenance of the family would be built – everyone had worries."
Then the authorities decided to pay from the regional budget for the nutrition of children of military personnel called up for mobilization and contract employees.
Belgorod "nominal battalions" numbering about a thousand people began to form from the beginning of 2022. Shortly after the start of the SVO, the regional authorities decided that in case of moderate and severe injuries, 500 thousand rubles are paid to the victim. In case of death, the amount increases to 3 million rubles. in addition to the money that is paid by the decision of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. The expenses of the region on this line, which are also extended to civilians, reached 15 million rubles.
At the same time, at the initiative of the regional deputies, the authorities appealed to employers with a request to keep the wages of those who were called up for mobilization. "We talk to each employer and explain that the mobilized defend their homeland with weapons in their hands. Today, 90% of our mobilized guys receive an average salary." In short, they retain not only the workplace, but also the salary.
Speaking about visiting military camps, Gladkov drew attention to the lack of complaints about food. Clothing and equipment turned out to be a more difficult topic. While combat training is underway, military personnel wear the uniform prescribed by the statutes.
When the servicemen get to the front line, they understand "what else our soldiers need in order to be a little more comfortable." There were 22 such positions. For example, polyurethane boots that keep negative temperatures, like those worn by hunters. The Belgorod authorities bought them in large quantities. By agreement, sheepskin boots with thick soles were purchased in Dagestan. Such shoes provide comfort even in low temperature conditions.
The regional authorities also help with the equipment, for which appropriate contacts have been established with the Ministry of Defense, the FSB, Rosgvardiya and other state structures – "what would you like from the point of view of additional equipment" from among the permitted options. "We have developed 32 positions within the framework of providing a motorized rifle platoon," Gladkov explained. According to him, it takes a couple of months for the combat unit to rally, and an understanding comes, "what is needed: what kind of quadcopter, what kind of rangefinder, what with binoculars, what with walkie-talkies, what with digital, what with analog, we help in this part."
In parallel with the mobilization in the Belgorod region, the formation of civil defense is underway. In this regard, Gladkov told Putin the following: "When I called you in September, when Ukraine started massively shelling, especially [the city of] Shebekino, the first serious civilian facilities, shopping malls, pharmacies, when children and women died in our country, I reported to you personally – there were a large number of appeals about the male population that could not be called. For example, several local wars have passed – injuries or age, they understand what war is, but they will no longer be called. And then they threw a cry, they wanted to see who would respond – more than 3 thousand people responded."
Of these, a structure has been formed, conventionally called a "regiment". There are seven battalions with their commanders in the unit, they are located geographically. Every week these units undergo training and trainings in Rostov. Deputy Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov responded to the appeal of local authorities to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, who ordered to allocate instructors. They teach tactics, the art of controlling unmanned vehicles, mining.
The next direction is a Voluntary people's squad in each locality to guard it together with the police. As a result, crime is reduced, attempts by the enemy to carry out sabotage are stopped. Despite the shelling from Ukraine, the actions of volunteer fire brigades helped to preserve the harvest. Thanks to their efforts, mainly for the timely detection of fires, the number of fires was reduced by three and a half times.
In general, according to the governor, the residents of the region "behave courageously: they do not tremble, they hold [the blow]."
The President of the Russian Federation also held a working meeting with the head of the Republic of Tatarstan (RT) Rustam Minnikhanov. It took place on January 23 and also contained moments dedicated to the special operation. The region is located far from the zone of its holding. Nevertheless, two units involved in the special operation were formed from among its residents. These are the battalions "Alga" ("Forward") and "Timer" ("Iron"). "We have heroes, six heroes, three of them died. And 52 natives of Tatarstan were awarded Orders of Courage. Unfortunately, there are also victims – we take these tasks very seriously in every case," Minnikhanov said.
Defense enterprises located in the republic received additional tasks under the state defense order. Last year, the Kazan Helicopter Plant assembled 106 rotorcraft. The aviation plant in Kazan manufactures a batch of 10 Tu-214 airliners and simultaneously begins serial production of upgraded Tu-160M bombers. KAMAZ has produced about 42 thousand cars and is organizing the production of a new K5 model. The production of the new model on stream is promised to be completed in the first quarter, for which it is necessary to resolve the remaining issues with components. Instead of Ford cars, a new "light commercial vehicle" will be produced at the Sollers plant. The share of non-primary exports of the Republic of Tatarstan has almost doubled, as the sale of crude oil has decreased, and petrochemical products have increased.
The authorities of the Republic of Tatarstan allocated almost 2.5 billion rubles. "in terms of supporting a special military operation ... including on our sponsored city of Lisichansk," but reconstruction work there is being held back due to the proximity of the front line.
The topic of restoring the infrastructure of new territories was also discussed by Putin during a teleconference with members of the government. The Minister of Construction and Housing and Communal Services of the Russian Federation Irek Fayzullin reported that 48,953 objects and almost 12 thousand km of networks were prepared in preparation for the autumn-winter period. "Supplies of material resources have been organized on the territory of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, as well as in the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions. 188 block-modular boiler houses were sent to ensure timely provision of heat to the restored facilities. The works in Mariupol, Volnovakha, Energodar, as well as in the Severodonetsk agglomeration, which have the largest number of destroyed and damaged objects, are under special control." Thanks to timely measures, the heating period in the new regions of the Russian Federation is held in the normal mode. "As part of your decision to provide infrastructure budget loans to new territories in the amount of at least 50 billion rubles, a program of measures is being formed to modernize engineering and utility facilities in new regions in order to bring them to a regulatory state," Fayzullin informed.
Vyacheslav IvanovVyacheslav Viktorovich Ivanov is a military expert and historian.
