Russian civilians flee conflict as Ukrainian forces advance in Kursk

Abandoning their home, they took one suitcase, ran through the forest, and swam across the river. "It's a shock for us," said Russians living in the Kursk region, describing their escape from the combat zone amid Ukrainian attacks. The next day, reports indicated the Ukrainian army had made progress in occupying Russian territory.

A war supporter from St. Petersburg expressed fury while watching reports on the evacuation of residents from the Kursk region. He recorded a video filled with heavy curses directed at the fleeing men: "I would like to appeal to the male population of Kursk. Why are you leaving the region? Where are you going, dear ones? If everyone retreats from the attacked towns, what will happen? What are you doing? Can't you take up arms? Where are you going?" said the man, who appeared in a military sweatshirt.

"Take shovels, dig trenches. Distribute food. Give your cars to the boys who are giving their lives to reclaim Kursk. Stop it!" he called on the men from the Kursk area.

Initially, the recording circulated on the social media platform Telegram as an example of Russian patriotism. Later, it was mocked. It turned out that the man in the video is 39-year-old Cyril Suvorov, the director of a company involved, among other things, in the burials of those fallen in the war with Ukraine. He himself does not fight on the front but runs a small business.

Russian refugees from the border areas of the Kursk region have reached the regional capital. In recordings from a few days ago, they complained that despite official communications, authorities did not secure evacuation for everyone. "People walked through the forest, swam across the river, and traveled by buses. It's a shock for us. Some, those with bags, gave their clothes to those who left home as they were," said an evacuation participant.

According to Russian data, 200,000 people fled from the areas near the Ukrainian border.

"In the Glushkovo region, police officers, risking their own lives, are helping people evacuate. Knowing the terrain, they can quickly navigate and make the right decisions. In recent days, the police have transported about 200 people with personal boats," read a statement on the administration's website of the Kursk region.

"Thank God, we are saved! We are from the village of Korenevo. We took the child, our passports, and left the house. The shelling started, and we realized we needed to go to a safe place. We went into the forest. The child was carried in our arms. Four-year-old Aniuta endured it calmly, not crying. Evgeny, a local policeman, led us through safe paths, and we walked for almost four hours. Ania held the policeman's hand and hugged him. We are all grateful that these boys are policemen on duty," reads the thanks from a mother, published by the local police.

Why these dramatic accounts? On Tuesday, the General Staff of Ukraine reported that soldiers had made progress in occupying Russian territory. According to reports from the Unian agency, the attackers are close to encircling a group of 3,000 Russian soldiers who, after the destruction of three bridges over the Seim river, were cut off from supplies.

"The Kursk operation is a personal and painful blow aimed directly at Vladimir Putin. His administration now has to pretend that nothing special is happening and that the services are reacting in an organized manner. However, we see that Russia is surprised to find itself forced to fight on its own territory," commented Prof. Krzysztof Żęgota from the Institute of Polish Political Science at the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, who specializes in security policy in Russia.

He referred to the recording about the men's escape. "When the army evacuates from threatened areas, it is hard to expect civilians to take up the fight. There is no such mood. Additionally, near the Ukrainian border, many people remember the times of the USSR when the border was merely formal," he added. Before 2022 and the onset of the aggression, local residents maintained neighborly relations. Current video reports show they speak Russian but with Ukrainian influences, Prof. Żęgota noted.

When asked about the military aspect, he responded: "It is clear that the Russians do not want to deplete the forces prepared for operations in Donbas, where the Russian attack on the Pokrovsk and Toretsk directions continues. That is their priority, and they are acting there with vigor," he assessed.

Ukrainian commentators draw similar conclusions. "Vladimir Putin gave his commanders just over a month to expel the Ukrainian armed forces from the occupied territories of the Kursk region. He issued an order to liberate the Kursk region by October 1," reported the RBC-Ukraine agency on Tuesday, citing military-political sources.

The task is to be accomplished "without withdrawing forces from crucial areas where Russia is conducting an offensive in Donbas, primarily in the Pokrovsk and Toretsk directions," according to unofficial reports.

"The Kursk operation" began on August 6. "After 13 days, Ukrainian forces controlled about 480 square miles of Russian territory, including over 90 settlements," said President Volodymyr Zelensky.