Over 110,000 residents of Kursk Oblast evacuated, Russia's chief ombudsman claims
Some 112,337 residents of Russia's Kursk Oblast left their homes due to hostilities, Russian Ombudsman Tatyana Moskalkova said in an interview published on Oct. 14, citing the country's Emergency Ministry.
After Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, authorities in Russian border regions have often reported Ukrainian strikes as the hostilities spilled across the border.
The evacuation efforts intensified after Kyiv's cross-border incursion in Kursk Oblast in early August.
Speaking to the Kremlin-controlled outlet Argumenty i Fakty, Moskalkova said that this number includes 12,328 people placed at temporary facilities across Russia and around 100,000 living with relatives and friends.
Around 40,000 people refused to evacuate or had already returned to their residences, the official added.
Overall, 30,415 residents of Belgorod and Kursk regions and other territories near the Russia-Ukraine border were placed at 960 temporary accommodation facilities across Russia, Moskalkova claimed. This number includes 7,670 children, she added.
The official alleged this figure encompasses residents who "fled" Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts two years ago "due to shelling."
The Kyiv Independent could not verify Moskalkova's claims as Russia has carried out forced deportations of Ukrainian residents of occupied territories, including children.
Ukraine launched its cross-border incursion into Kursk Oblast on Aug. 6, claiming to initially seize some 1,300 square kilometers (500 square miles) but recently facing mounting pressure from growing Russian reinforcements.
Kyiv said it would adhere to international humanitarian law in its conduct toward Russian civilians in Kursk Oblast, inviting the U.N. and the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) to "join humanitarian efforts." The Kremlin has dismissed the move as "provocation."
The Kyiv Independent news desk
