Sections of road near the border with Russia in Sumy Oblast have been closed to civilian vehicles after a Russian reconnaissance and sabotage group shot dead two people on Jan. 27, the region's military administration reported on Feb. 3.
The victims were a brother and a sister who lived in a village near the border.
The regional authorities said that road sections that are located within five kilometers of the Russian border have been blocked to prevent civilian casualties.
In the summer of 2023, regional authorities announced a voluntary evacuation from settlements in the five-kilometer border zone most affected by Russian attacks, although not all residents agreed to leave.
Sumy Oblast, which borders Russia's Bryansk, Kursk, and Belgorod oblasts, is hit by Russian attacks on a daily basis. Russian forces shelled the region 102 times in 33 separate attacks on Feb. 2, according to Sumy Oblast Military Administration.
Dinara Khalilova
