In the border Belgorod region, authorities decided to bring schoolchildren back to in-person classes at the start of the new academic year, even though the area was facing its heaviest drone attacks since the war began. On August 14 alone, according to official figures, Belgorod was attacked by 32 drones.
Two weeks later, on August 29, a drone fell onto the roof of the technology faculty of Belgorod State Agrarian University. Even after that, there was no discussion of moving students to remote learning. The university also chose to hold exam sessions for part-time students in person, although for the previous three years it had kept those exams online.
Students then launched a petition calling for the remote session to be restored. In their appeal, they said that most of them live outside Belgorod and even outside the region, and that constant shelling in areas including Maysky and nearby settlements made them fear for their lives and safety while traveling to the university.
The students said the safety guarantees offered by the university administration did not convince them that they were truly protected, and asked for the upcoming session to be reconsidered and moved online in order to avoid unnecessary risks and continue studying in safer conditions.
The petition collected 132 signatures, but the university leadership did not reverse its decision. Even so, on September 23 and 24, students were temporarily switched to remote learning because the attacks had intensified.
At the same time, after a drone hit a residential building in the settlement of Dubovoye on September 10 and a 14-year-old girl was injured, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov ordered schools in the region to move to distance learning. Residents of Belgorod told Novaya Gazeta Europe that shopping centers also closed temporarily, mass events were canceled, and many companies allowed employees with children to work remotely. It remains unclear how long this arrangement will stay in place.