To protect the border, over the past few months, civilians from Belgorod have been
to help with digging trenches and fortifications around the region, with many reporting poor working conditions and non-payment of salaries. The security line that civilians have constructed consists of relatively unsophisticated dragon’s teeth (anti-tank defences) accompanied by barbed wire – low-tech solutions that have already
easy to dismantle. And while these obstacles may temporarily slow down any kind of territorial incursion into Belgorod, they provide little defence against drones and air attacks, the main threat in the region. The border with Ukraine is long and the fortifications are unmanned, making them even more vulnerable.
In perhaps a reflection of the Kremlin’s priorities, while air defences do operate in Belgorod, no extra military reinforcements have been sent there;
National Guard have not been deployed to support Gladkov, nor have there been any serious efforts to reduce civilian casualties by relocating military assets within Russia away from populated areas – all of which would reduce the risk for the local population. It is only recently that some people have been
from border villages.
