The mayor of Belgorod, Demidov, announced that he had joined a volunteer unit.

On April 18, the Mayor of Belgorod, Valentin Demidov, announced that he would be joining the Bars-Belgorod volunteer force starting on Monday.

"Dear friends, I am going to serve in the Bars-Belgorod volunteer formation," Demidov wrote on his Telegram channel.

According to him, Belgorod has been facing military threats and the consequences of attacks by the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) for several years.

The mayor noted that the local authorities are constantly cooperating with the units that ensure the security of the region, including BARS-Belgorod.

"I believe that it is necessary to improve military skills at training grounds, gain experience in operational interaction within the unit," Demidov added.

The mayor also expressed a desire to coordinate in the field "shoulder to shoulder with those who protect our region and our Belgorod."

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Earlier, on February 5, Andrei Ikonnikov, Minister of Health of the Belgorod Region, joined the BARS-Belgorod volunteer group to help organize the work of the medical service. According to him, Russian fighters should receive affordable medical care, and it can only be improved while inside.

On December 25, 2024, a ceremony was held on the territory of one of the military units of the Southern Military District to transfer more than 200 units of weapons and military equipment to the volunteers of the LEOPARD units performing combat missions in the special military operation zone.