The authorities of the Belgorod region carried out a large-scale evacuation of residents of the border Krasnoyarsk district, where the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) have been attempting to break through the state border since March 18. The governor of the region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said in a morning video address on March 23 that "almost all" local residents had already left their homes in order to save their lives. According to him, the main goal of the authorities is to ensure the safety of the population in the face of a growing threat. However, he did not specify the exact number of evacuees, leaving the question of the scale of the operation open. According to Rosstat, about 2024 thousand people lived in the district at the beginning of 14, which gives an idea of ​​the potential scope of the displacement.

Gladkov acknowledged that some residents, despite the danger, return to their homes through the fields to take care of their livestock - chickens, rabbits and other animals that they raised for food or income.

“We understand their feelings, because people have invested effort and money, but we need to clearly understand the priorities: the lives of people are at stake, not animals,” — the governor emphasized, addressing the population.

He called on residents to refrain from such risky actions, pointing out that preserving human life remains the authorities' primary task. This emotional emphasis underscores the difficulty of the situation in which people are forced to choose between safety and caring for their households.