Belgorod resident told to buy VPN for drone damage claim

A resident of Russia's Belgorod region was advised by local officials to buy a VPN to file a compensation claim for his car damaged in a drone attack. Alexander Krivolapov's vehicle was struck by shrapnel during an attack, puncturing a tire and fuel tank. When he tried to submit required photos via Telegram as instructed, he found the app blocked and was told by staff at the Shebekino situational center to pay for a VPN or try sending them via VKontakte. The incident highlights the bureaucratic hurdles and reliance on blocked foreign services faced by civilians in conflict-affected border regions.