Russia has not provided a humanitarian corridor for its citizens to leave Kursk more than three weeks after Ukraine began its incursion into the region, said Vadym Mysnyk, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian military's Operational Tactical Group Siversk.
Mysnyk made his comments during the government-run Telemarathon, Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform reported.
"We talk a lot with the locals. Even show them photos of destroyed Ukrainian cities, show films about the crimes committed by the Russians at the beginning of the war. They have different opinions. But for the most part they don't understand. They say that they want peace, that it is beyond politics, that everything stops or that they are given a corridor - the opportunity to leave the combat zone, which Russia does not provide," said Mysnyk.
Ukraine's cross-border incursion into neighboring Kursk Oblast began on Aug. 6.
According to Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, as of Aug. 27, Ukraine controlled 1,294 square kilometers (around 500 square miles) and 100 settlements, including the town of Sudzha.
These claims have not been independently verified by The Kyiv Independent.
Ukraine opened a hotline for Russian citizens in Kursk Oblast who wish to receive humanitarian aid or want to be evacuated to Ukraine amid the ongoing fighting in the area, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said on Aug. 14.
Around 200 civilians remain in the city of Sudzha out of 5,000 residents, Oleksandr Pavliuk, commander of Ukraine's Ground Forces, said on Aug. 31. The majority of them are retirement age. Russia is regularly shelling Sudzha and attacking it with guided aerial bombs and kamikaze drones, according to Pavliuk.
Kateryna Denisova
