Eight enterprises in the Shebekino area affected by shelling carried out by the Armed Forces of Ukraine are set to receive a total compensation of 580 million rubles. This update was posted by Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of the Belgorod Region, on the region’s Telegram channel. The compensation is aimed at addressing the damage to infrastructure and ensuring a quicker return to normal business operations for local firms that bore the brunt of the attacks. Funds for these payments will be drawn from both federal and regional budgets, reflecting ongoing coordination between different levels of government to support the affected economy.
Officials noted that by the end of 2023, five enterprises already benefited from a combined sum of 800 million rubles. The governor attributed this earlier round of aid to the decisions and direct support of the president, underscoring the central authorities’ commitment to stabilizing the border economy. He further stated that the work to restore and reinforce damaged facilities would continue, with additional measures designed to bolster the resilience of the region’s economic backbone and sustain employment and production in the areas most impacted by the hostilities.
During a December 18, 2023 meeting with leaders of the affected enterprises, regional authorities outlined a broader package of support. The administration announced allocations totaling 1.675 billion rubles to cover capital costs incurred in reviving business activity. A substantial portion of this sum, amounting to 1.273 billion rubles, would be funded from the federal budget, while the remaining 402 million rubles would come from the Belgorod regional budget. This follows earlier steps in which 1.45 billion rubles were directed to assist border regions, signaling ongoing, multi-source funding to accelerate recovery and protect local jobs and investment flows.
In the latest public updates, the Belgorod Region leadership reiterated the scale and pace of the ongoing support amid a challenging security situation along the border. While emphasizing the persistent risk posed by the conflict, authorities highlighted that the region would not waver in its efforts to shield the economic interests of small and mid-sized businesses. The regional administration stressed the importance of coordinated action with federal partners to ensure timely disbursement of funds and rigorous monitoring of project implementation, with the aim of delivering tangible improvements in infrastructure reliability and business continuity for the enterprises most exposed to aerial and drone-based threats.
As the security environment remains tense, Gladkov and regional officials continued to provide regular updates on the status of compensation and reconstruction programs. They cited ongoing inspections, project planning sessions with enterprise heads, and administrative steps to expedite reimbursements and capital investments. The overarching objective is to create a more robust economic ecosystem in Belgorod Region, one capable of withstanding future disruptions while preserving employment levels and fostering growth in key sectors of the local economy. Citizens and business representatives were invited to participate in the monitoring process to ensure transparency and accountability in how the funds are allocated and spent, reinforcing public confidence in the recovery effort.