Russia has evacuated about 300 residents of Belgorod, a city near the Ukrainian border, because of strikes by Kyiv, the governor of the region said on Monday.

“Some 300 residents of Belgorod, who decided to temporarily evacuate, are at the moment being housed in temporary shelter centres in Stary Oskol, Gubkin and the Korochansky district” which are further from the border, Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of Belgorod region, said.

The evacuation from Belgorod is the largest of a major Russian city since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Belgorod is just over half an hour’s drive from the border with Ukraine, making it a vital stop in Russian supply lines. The city has come under extensive shelling and drone attacks for months.

Ukrainian attacks on Belgorod on 30 December killed 25 people, local officials said.

/The Guardian