Russia closes malls, schools in Belgorod due to Ukrainian attacks

All schools and colleges in parts of the Russian region of Belgorod will be closed Monday and Tuesday following an increase in Ukrainian attacks on the territory, reported CNN, quoting the region’s governor.

Shopping malls will also be closed Sunday and Monday, Vyacheslav Gladkov added in a statement on Telegram. The affected districts lie alongside the border with Ukraine. The city of Belgorod itself is also subject to the closures.

The frequent attacks have brought the war in Ukraine to Russians largely isolated from the conflict.

Ukraine’s Spy Chief Kyrylo Budanov said Saturday that Russians are among the sabotage groups attacking the Russian regions of Belgorod and Kursk, which borders Ukraine, the CNN added.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian drone attacked the Syzran oil refinery in Russia's Samara region on Saturday, and an attempted attack on the Novokuibyshevsk oil refinery was also recorded, reported Xinhua, quoting local authorities.

Dmitry Azarov, the regional governor, said that a petroleum products container caught fire in the Syzran oil refinery as a result of the attack, adding that preliminary data showed no casualties.

He also said that the attempted attack on the Novokuibyshevsk refinery was stopped.

The fire at the Syzran oil refinery covered an area of approximately 500 square meters, while the incident in Novokuibyshevsk resulted in a minor fire.