MOSCOW - The Belgorod region has declared a regional state of emergency due to the escalating situation, with authorities considering elevating the emergency status to the federal level, the region's governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on his Telegram channel on Wednesday.

"The situation in the Belgorod region remains extremely challenging and tense. Daily shelling by the Armed Forces of Ukraine has led to the destruction of homes, as well as injuries and fatalities among civilians," Gladkov said in a video address.

"Therefore, we have decided to declare a state of emergency across the entire Belgorod region starting today to provide additional protection to the population and offer further support to those affected," he said.

The governor also indicated that the regional government would soon appeal to the federal commission to request declaring a federal-level state of emergency.