Russian residents flee Sudzha amid destruction and mines
A recording has surfaced online, published by a resident of Sudzha in the Kursk region of Russia, who, along with his family, is trying to evacuate. The video shows completely deserted streets, burned cars, bomb craters, and mines on the road, which he manages to avoid at the last moment.
2:48 PM EDT, August 8, 2024
The recording lasts almost four minutes. As established by the Sirena channel, the video was shot on the way out of the city and onto the highway to Kursk. The exact location was also pinpointed. "In this part of the recording, at least 10 cars damaged by shelling are captured," writes Sirena.
Evacuation from Sudzha
At the very beginning, the people in the car discuss what they see out the window. In the passenger seat, someone is seen holding luggage on their lap. The interlocutors claim that there are bodies of the deceased on the streets of Sudzha—which are not visible in the published recording.
Judging by the recording, there are dozens of damaged and burned cars in the exits and in the city itself.
The video also clearly shows mines lying on the road.
In another recording published by Baza, we see a vehicle also trying to leave the city. Inside, there are likely two men. As the car approaches a strip with mines and tries to avoid them, a series of shots suddenly rings out. The driver speeds up. When they reach a roundabout, the passenger tells the driver not to go to Kursk because "there are mines there." Moments later, more shots are fired.
The bullets—three rounds in total—hit the car but did not injure anyone. After a short detour, the men managed to escape the gunfire.
The Mash channel (close to the Russian Ministry of Defense) reports that the driver of the car was a local farmer. The man was said to have returned to Sudzha to feed his farm animals, something he "deeply regretted."
Astra writes that residents of Sudzha and their relatives have been calling the 112 emergency hotline for several days to learn more about the promised evacuation from the region and to try to contact their loved ones. "However, the 112 number does not work or works intermittently," we read.
Russians claim they "stopped the advance"
The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that the Russian Armed Forces "continue to destroy the armed formations of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Sudzhene and Korenevo regions of the Kursk region." The Russian military department claims it did not allow the enemy to advance.
According to authorities from the shelled territories of the Kursk region, about 3,000 people were evacuated. However, "in reality, local residents are practically evacuating themselves," writes the "Ważne.Istorje" channel.
