Ukrainian Strikes Hinder Safe Return of Displaced Residents to Russia’s Kursk Region, Claims Acting Governor

Ukrainian drone and artillery attacks across the border are hindering the return of displaced civilians to certain areas of Russia’s Kursk region, Acting Governor Alexander Khinshtein stated on Wednesday.

«We will permit residents to come back only when we are completely assured that there is no lingering threat,» Khinshtein informed the RBC news agency. «We are not willing to risk sending people back while there are potential drone or missile threats.»

Over 150,000 individuals were evacuated from border communities following a sudden incursion by Ukrainian forces into the Kursk region in August 2024.

Subsequently, some displaced residents organized protests due to poor living conditions and what they considered inadequate government assistance and compensation for their destroyed homes.

In April, Russia’s military announced that the Kursk region had been entirely cleared of Ukrainian forces. Khinshtein and other officials estimate that approximately 300 civilians lost their lives during the nine-month occupation.

According to Khinshtein, more than 570 individuals are still unaccounted for.

Russian troops began the process of clearing mines from reclaimed areas in March, a task which authorities say could extend over a year.