TASS, March 19. The authorities of the Belgorod region have decided to evacuate some 9,000 children to other regions of Russia due to the shelling carried out by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the region’s governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said on Tuesday.

"A large number of villages are being evacuated today. We are currently planning to evacuate about 9,000 children from Belgorod, the Belgorod region, Shebekinsky district, and Grayvoronsky district. On March 22, 1,200 children will be sent to Penza, Tambov, and Kaluga. Next - the Stavropol region," he said.

According to the governor, 16 people were killed and 98 were injured over the past week due to the shelling in the Belgorod region. On Tuesday, a minor was injured as a result of an attack carried out by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.