Authorities in the Belgorod region in southwest Russia late Wednesday ordered In view of the intensifying clashes between Russian and Ukrainian forces in recent weeks, schools near the border with Ukraine are switching to distance learning at the start of the new school year.
“We must not only take all measures to ensure the safety of children, but also give them the opportunity to study,” Belgorod Region Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said in a message shared on Telegram.
He said classes in all schools within 20 kilometers of the border with Ukraine will be held online starting with the 2024/25 school year, which begins on September 1. The region’s capital, Belgorod, lies outside this 20-kilometer-wide border zone.
Gladkov said that at all other schools in the region, classes will be held in person or in a hybrid format “depending on the decisions of the school administration and parents.” He also tried to reassure teachers that there would be no pay cuts despite a continued “slight decline in student numbers in classrooms.”
The move came as regional authorities continue to evacuate communities near the border “due to the tense situation” caused by regular air strikes and clashes between Russian and Ukrainian forces.
Earlier this week, pro-Kremlin sources said claims that Ukrainian troops launched attacks on border posts in the Belgorod region in an attempt to “break the border.” Gladkov confirmed Although the attacks were reported, attempts were otherwise made to downplay the threat.
On Thursday at least one person was killed and two others were injured in Ukrainian attacks on the border town of Shebekino in the Belgorod region.
