Ukraine Sets Up Humanitarian Corridor for Civilian Evacuation from Kursk Region

The Ukrainian military is working on establishing a potential humanitarian corridor for civilians from Russia’s Kursk region to Ukraine’s Sumy region. This was announced by Iryna Vereshchuk, Ukraine’s Minister of Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories.

Vereshchuk mentioned that while there is currently the possibility of a humanitarian corridor leading toward Russia, this can only be implemented if there is an official request from the Russian side. “Currently, such a request has not yet been received,” Vereshchuk stated.

Kateryna Rashevska, a lawyer at the Regional Center for Human Rights, commented that while evacuating Russian citizens to Ukraine is not ideal, it could be considered if requested by Russia or if necessary. “It is known that currently, 180,000 to 200,000 people need evacuation from the border regions of Russia. According to Russian sources, 120,000 have already been evacuated towards Russia,” Rashevska explained.

She emphasized that special care is needed, particularly for vulnerable groups such as children. “If Russian citizens are evacuated to Ukraine, it would not be a violation as long as it is voluntary. When it comes to vulnerable categories, especially children, it is not just Ukraine’s right, but also its duty to save these children and bring them out of active conflict zones,” Rashevska added.

This development follows the closure of the “Kolotylivka” checkpoint on August 6, which was the last functioning crossing on the border between Sumy region and Russia. The “Kolotylivka-Pokrovka” corridor had been used by people returning from occupied territories to Ukraine-controlled areas.

Earlier today, Ukraine announced it is preparing for the possible arrival of refugees from the Kursk region. To address this, the Ukrainian Ministry of Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories has established a 24-hour hotline.

Ukraine’s Kursk incursion has caught Russia off guard, prompting Russian personnel to dig trenches near the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant in anticipation of further Ukrainian advances. Zelenskyy has also stated that hundreds of Russian soldiers surrendered to Ukrainian forces.