Fearing a Ukrainian offensive, Putin makes the urgent decision

Vladimir Putin has ordered tighter security around Russia's border after a surge in attacks inside the country.

Yesterday, officials said three people were wounded by Ukrainian shelling in Belgorod, a region that was also targeted by pro-Ukrainian fighters earlier this week.

The Russian regions of Kursk and Belgorod on the border with Ukraine have been the most frequent target of attacks.

The Russian president said the move to strengthen security was to ensure "swift" military and civilian movement in Ukrainian regions now under Moscow's control.

Speaking in a congratulatory message to the border service, a branch of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB), Putin said their task was to "reliably cover" the lines in the vicinity of the combat zone.

"It is necessary to ensure the rapid movement of military and civilian vehicles and cargo, including food, humanitarian aid construction materials sent to the new subjects of the Russian Federation," Putin said in a message posted on the Kremlin's Telegram channel.

Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk and Donetsk are the four regions in Ukraine that Moscow announced it had annexed last September after what the West condemned as fake referendums.