The authorities in the Russian region of Belgorod on Monday ordered the evacuation of a district right on the border with Ukraine for fear of another advance by Ukrainian forces.

The governor of Belgorod, Vyacheslav Gladkov, in a short video distributed via social networks on Monday said that the enemy was active on the border of the Krasnaya Yaruga district.

For safety reasons, he said that the residents would be moved to other locations, and vehicles were on the way.

He also said that he was sure that everything would be organised and the most important thing was to remain calm, without panic.

Gladkov is certain that the Russian army was doing everything it could to deal with the threat.

He did not specify what the Ukrainians were allegedly doing on this section of the border.

Rybar, a Russian military blog, reported an attack on the Kolotilovka border crossing and the penetration of Ukrainian sabotage troops through a forest area near Terebreno.

There has been no confirmation of this.

The district of Krasnaya Yaruga is located in the north-west of the Belgorod region and borders the Russian region of Kursk, which Ukrainian troops entered last Tuesday.

There was fierce criticism from local residents that the authorities have not been prepared.

Tens of thousands of residents from the towns on the border fled the fighting in disorder.

Ukraine has been fending off a Russian invasion for almost two and a half years and is under heavy pressure on the fronts in its own country.

The leadership in Kiev remains silent on the target of the advances into Russian territory.

However, the attacks have given the Ukrainian army more freedom of movement in recent days and presented the Russian side with unexpected problems.

(dpa/NAN)