"A number of telegram channels are spreading false information about the Ukrainian armed forces breaking into the Shebekinsky direction at night. The operational headquarters officially declares that this information is false and does not correspond to reality. The situation in the Shebekinsky district is difficult at the moment, shelling is underway, sounds of battle are heard. Russian armed forces are working, but there is no breakthrough of Ukraine's armed forces," the operational headquarters said in a statement.
Shebekino is a town in Russian Belgorod Region located 30 kilometers southeast of Belgorod. Shebekino's population is roughly 40,000.
According to regional authorities, eight people were injured in the Ukrainian shelling of the town overnight. Almost 20 buildings are damaged. The were no fatalities.
“There was and is no enemy on the territory of Russia's Belgorod region, but there is constant bombardment”, the governor of the region said.
The Russian Armed Forces, border guards, Federal Security Service, and National Guard are on the spot, the governor added.
"The lives of civilians, the population is under threat. First of all, in Shebekino and in the surrounding villages. The administration of districts and cities is now engaged in the evacuation of people. Of course, this cannot be done under fire. We need to wait for the end of shelling, the end of the explosions, the end of the risks of being injured or killed by the shells of the Armed Forces of Ukraine."
According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Russian President Vladimir Putin has been receiving all the updates about the situation in Shebekino.
"In connection with the situation around Shebekino, Vladimir Putin constantly receives reports from the Ministry of Defense, the Border Guard Service, the FSB, the Ministry of Emergency Situations, and is also directly informed by the regional and municipal authorities of the region about measures to provide the necessary assistance to the population, including providing those who wish with temporary accommodation," Peskov told reporters.