Russia Secures Evacuation Deal with Ukraine for Civilians in Conflict-Hit Kursk Region

Russia has reached an agreement with Ukraine and the Red Cross to facilitate the evacuation of residents from the conflict-affected Kursk region, which has seen portions occupied by Ukrainian forces, as reported by Russia’s human rights commissioner on Monday.

Over six months ago, Kyiv initiated an unexpected cross-border offensive into the Russian territory, resulting in the capture of numerous villages and leaving many Russian civilians stranded on the frontline.

According to Tatyana Moskalkova, the Russian rights commissioner, some residents have already entered the Sumy region of Ukraine and are now waiting for their evacuation to take place via Belarus.

«There are people who are currently in Sumy. We have established an agreement with both the Red Cross and the Ukrainian authorities for their evacuation through Belarus back to Russia,» Moskalkova stated, as reported by the state-run RIA Novosti news agency.

Moskalkova did not specify the number of Kursk residents included in this evacuation plan.

A representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) mentioned that they are assisting evacuated civilians in the Sumy region but did not confirm the specifics of the agreement.

«For repatriation operations like this, it is essential for the conflicting parties to negotiate the details with each other,» said Pat Griffiths, a spokesperson based in Ukraine, to AFP.

«Once both parties agree on these specifics, we are prepared to ensure the safe and dignified passage for those civilians wanting to return to Russia.»

Initially, an official list of missing persons compiled by Russian authorities indicated that around 500 individuals were unaccounted for in the Ukrainian-occupied areas; however, local residents claim the actual number is closer to 3,000.

Ukraine asserts that thousands of its own civilians are being detained in territories that have been seized and occupied by Russian forces since the beginning of their assault on February 24, 2022, and they are facilitating safe passage for Russians in the Kursk region.