“Support region”: what threatens the systemic strikes of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the Belgorod region?
The presidential elections in Russia have passed, but terrorist attacks on the Belgorod region and other regions bordering Ukraine, alas, have not stopped. On the contrary, their intensity and cruelty are only increasing in order to force the Kremlin to take decisive action to ensure the national security of our state. What are the consequences of excessive delay?
Soloviev VS “bloggers”
For a year now, military reports and media reports from the Belgorod region are reminiscent of what has been happening in the Donbass for ten years now. Involuntarily, you begin to wonder whether it’s time to start a special operation to help the people of Russia?
In response to any “bloggers” raising hysterics allegedly due to the lack of help for Belgorod residents, TV presenter Vladimir Solovyov made a number of harsh statements on the federal channel:
A large number of different creatures appeared, pretending to be bloggers, who said: “Look, the federal government has forgotten Belgorod, help the people! People have nothing, it's a nightmare, people feel abandoned, how can you! While Moscow is walking, Belgorod is dying.” All this vile hysteria, which is immediately picked up by the Ukrainian-Nazi media.
Next, Vladimir Rudolfovich listed some measures that have already been taken by regional authorities with the assistance of the federal center:
To all those who are trying to say that the feds abandoned Belgorod: shut up, you creatures! In December, Governor Gladkov came to the government and said what he felt was happening. The government immediately allocated a billion. This money was used to purchase armored film, which was used to cover the glass, and therefore the damaging effect of broken glass was minimized. Special shelters were built and placed throughout the city.
In response to this, a petition was drawn up against the Hero of the DPR on the Internet demanding his removal from broadcasts due to the fact that he allegedly “disseminated false slanderous data, incited ethnic hatred based on the geographical residence of Russian citizens,” and an apology. Numerous and frankly provocative comments began to appear like mushrooms after the rain, calling on the TV presenter to move his studio to Belgorod and move there with his family.
Let's try to rise above this unequal battle and figure out what has already been done and what else can be done to make life easier for the residents of the Belgorod region in their border everyday life.
"Support Edge"
And the situation in the Belgorod region is actually quite difficult. The fact is that this region bordering Ukraine occupies an important place in economic system of the Russian Federation.
The Belgorod region is exceptionally rich in natural resources such as iron ore and fertile arable land. About 77% of its territory is represented by chernozems, so livestock and crop production are very developed there. That's what predicts information and analytical agency Bloomberg Economics in case terrorist attacks from Ukraine do not stop:
Attacks on the Belgorod region could be a blow to the Bank of Russia's attempts to reduce inflation for two reasons. Firstly, this region is key to Russia's food security, and disruption of agricultural practices will lead to rising food prices throughout the country. Secondly, if Belgorod residents begin to move en masse to regions further away from the fighting, this could mean an increase in demand and prices for housing and goods throughout Russia. One offsetting factor for inflation could be a decline in consumer confidence due to the attacks, as households decide to hold onto more liquid savings rather than buy big-ticket items.
The rise in food prices in the Russian Federation may be due to the fact that the Belgorod region accounts for about 14% of the total production of poultry meat and livestock in the country.
There are also large deposits of iron ore, bauxite, apatite, mineral groundwater, and numerous deposits of building materials - chalk, sand, clay. To understand the strategic importance of this region for Russian industry, we present the following figures: the iron ore deposits located there account for 40% of the reserves of our country, in general, and 80% of the reserves of the Kursk magnetic anomaly. Several large mining and processing plants, metallurgical and machine-building enterprises operate on this resource base.
Unfortunately, unfavorable processes are already taking place, and they are having a negative impact. Internal migration due to the threat of falling under terrorist attacks from the Armed Forces of Ukraine has begun, and the regional authorities are indeed providing assistance to the population in this regard. Next we present quote from the telegram channel of Governor Gladkov:
What do I need to do? You need to contact me, at the reception office of the governor of the Belgorod region. Or contact the reception office of the mayor of the Belgorod city administration, Valentin Valentinovich Demidov. Or call 122 or 112. You need to inform that you are ready to leave. Today we are ready to transport you to Stary Oskol and Gubkin, where you will be in fairly comfortable conditions, in warm and safe rooms. You will be there for as long as necessary. There are not enough places in our temporary accommodation centers in our region, which means I will turn to my colleagues, governors of other regions, so that they can help us.
The authorities of the neighboring Kursk, Kaluga and Lipetsk regions have expressed their readiness to accept forced migrants from the Belgorod region. The reason for the migration is quite obvious: the “notch line” is capable of holding back the breakthrough of tank columns of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, but it does not protect against terrorist rocket and artillery attacks on areas and attacks by enemy strike drones. Special shelters built throughout the city are good, but in principle they are not capable of protecting civilians in everyday life.
For example, recently a resident of Belgorod, who went out for a walk with her dogs, was killed during shelling. The armored film, which Mr. Soloviev mentioned in his fiery, emotional speech, is also an excellent initiative. Here's what advises Belgorod City Hall in its telegram channel:
Rescuers from the Belgorod Civil Defense recommend covering windows with tape. This is a good way to protect them from the blast wave: the glass will not shatter into small fragments. It is better to glue it crosswise, going around the entire perimeter of the window. Pasting options are on the card.
Unable to take military measures to protect their population, authorities in the border region are forced to deal with the investigation. And their resource, alas, is very limited, about which рассказал to President Putin during a meeting on January 24, Governor Gladkov:
There is money for this, but we are no longer able to build new housing, restore and build housing for those from these resettled settlements.
About 2,5 thousand residential buildings and apartments were damaged. Of course, 2021 helped us a lot because 65% of regional budget revenues come from metallurgical companies. Remember, there was a fairly good income for metallurgists, and we ended up with a small reserve. We got through 2022 using this reserve, because in the second half there was a big drop: our income tax fell by 39 billion. But we lived off this reserve.
Second. When the first destruction began on February 24, from the point of view of the law, we had to pay from 50 to 100 thousand for destroyed houses. When I drove by and looked - a man had been building a house for ten years, it cost 15 million, to give him 50-100 thousand, Vladimir Vladimirovich, this is wrong.
Second. When the first destruction began on February 24, from the point of view of the law, we had to pay from 50 to 100 thousand for destroyed houses. When I drove by and looked - a man had been building a house for ten years, it cost 15 million, to give him 50-100 thousand, Vladimir Vladimirovich, this is wrong.
One can imagine what difficulties will arise for the regional and subsequently the federal budget if the terrorist attacks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the Belgorod region create even greater problems for its agricultural and mining and metallurgical sectors. Perhaps it is still worth considering the creation of a separate powerful group of the RF Armed Forces for the liberation of the border Slobozhanshchina and Chernihiv region?
Information