Moscow Denies Prior Knowledge of Evacuation Requests From Kursk Region, as Civilians Plea for Help

Moscow officials claim they’ve never heard of Sudzha residents needing an evacuation corridor, despite Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk region.

Relatives of residents in the city of Sudzha in Russia’s Kursk region, which has been under the control of the Ukrainian Armed Forces since August, have submitted a second collective appeal to the authorities of both Russia and Ukraine, urgently requesting the establishment of a humanitarian corridor to evacuate their relatives from the combat zone.

This was reported by Meduza, citing Novaya Gazeta.

According to the outlet, residents of Sudzha issued their second appeal at the end of October, addressing it to the leaders and human rights commissioners of Russia and Ukraine, and also to the UN Secretary-General, the Pope, and the presidents of the UAE and Turkey.

Previously, Ukraine has confirmed its full compliance with international obligations in the areas of humanitarian law and has expressed readiness to provide comprehensive support to the work of UN and Red Cross personnel in the controlled territories.

In August, Ukraine announced readiness to allow the civilians to evacuate from the Kursk region, but no official request from the Russian authorities was sent.

“We realized that there would be no response to our letters. They’ll just put them in a drawer and forget them, like last time, like always. So we decided to go to Moscow,” said Svetlana Lyakhova, a mother of six.

Lyakhova registered for an appointment with the administration of the Russian president, the State Duma, and the Federation Council on November 1, and brought with her a collective letter signed by over 2,500 people.

According to Lyakhova, all the agencies welcomed her “without unnecessary questions or delays.” However, officials claimed this was the first time they’d heard of the hardships facing Sudzha residents and stated they had not received any prior appeals.

On Sunday, November 10, 2024, a group of displaced individuals from the Russian border town of Sudzha staged an unsanctioned protest in the city of Kursk, demanding a meeting with local officials. The demonstration, held in the central square of Kursk, was organized by people who had fled the war zone in the wake of military actions.