Belgorod governor says Russia could guarantee region’s security by annexing Ukraine’s Kharkiv region

Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of Russia’s Belgorod region, said in an interview on Monday that the problem of shelling in the region from across the Ukrainian border could be solved by Russia annexing Ukraine’s Kharkiv region.

“Annex Kharkiv to the Belgorod region,” Gladkov said in response to a question about what Russia should do to guarantee the region’s safety. When the interviewer asked whether Gladkov believes this is possible, the governor responded, “It’s the best way to solve the problem of shelling in the Belgorod region — the Kharkiv region.”

Gladkov added that his region faces threats not just from shelling but also from Ukrainian “sabotage and reconnaissance groups.”

“We’re effectively living in a state of war. Like it or not, it’s happening. The enemy comes onto our territory; before the most recent incident in Grayvoron, five sabotage and reconnaissance groups had come.”