Russia Places Evacuated Kursk Region Residents to Russian Occupied Crimea

Evacuated residents from Russia's Kursk region are being transported to recreational facilities in Russian-occupied Crimea, Suspilne Crimea reported on August 15.

An employee at one of the Crimean recreational facilities, who spoke anonymously for security reasons, informed Suspilne Crimea that local authorities began relocating refugees from Kursk region to their city on August 13. The specific city was not disclosed.

"On August 14, we were informed that families with children are expected to begin staying with us (at the recreational facility) from the next shift. The available spaces will be allocated to them. This is currently being arranged," the source stated.

Denys Chystikov, Deputy Permanent Representative of Ukraine’s President in Crimea, told Suspilne Crimea that the regional branch of the Red Cross in Kerch initiated the resettlement of Kursk region residents to Crimea. According to Chystikov, 35 people have already moved into facilities in Yevpatoria.

Chystikov criticized Russia’s actions as a violation of Article 4 of the Geneva Convention, suggesting that Russia is continuing its policy of population displacement that began in 2014. This policy involves moving people from Russia to occupied Crimea through various programs.

Official figures indicate that approximately 600,000 Russian citizens have been relocated to occupied Crimea, with unofficial estimates possibly reaching up to one million, Chystikov said.

"Crimea, it should be noted, operates as a regional branch of the Red Cross, effectively allowing Russia to use humanitarian resources for the benefit of the occupying authorities. This also involves the Red Cross in war crimes. We are drawing the international community's attention to this situation, as well as to the need to halt such actions in the future and to evacuate these citizens from the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea," emphasized the Deputy Permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.

Chystikov added that Russia is trying to demonstrate to the population of occupied Crimea that the situation in the region will remain stable and that the occupying forces will not leave Crimea.

Russian authorities report that about 121,000 residents of Kursk region have been evacuated so far, with a preliminary total of 180,000 evacuations planned.

It was reported earlier that some of the evacuated residents from Russia’s Kursk region will be relocated to parts of the Zaporizhzhia region occupied by Russia.