Russian Border Regions Grapple with Fear and Fatalism.

Fear, suspicion, and exhaustion have seeped into the Russian region of Belgorod, located just 60 kilometers from the Ukraine border, as the war between the two countries continues. While life in distant places like Moscow and St. Petersburg has continued without major disruption, Belgorod has seen periodic shelling and cross-border rocket attacks, causing weariness among its residents. The recent cross-border raid by anti-Kremlin fighters supporting Ukraine has further unsettled the region. Despite 15 months of proximity to the invasion, authorities haven't done much to construct civil defenses or emergency preparedness plans, and bomb shelters are a "total fiction."